Generation Unknown
Recently, I had a conversation with my wife where we discussed how I do not feel as if I fit into any generation. I was born in the mid-1980s, but I recognize that I do not always fit into the categories I am placed. Sure, we had our fads and few clothing choices. However, we had nothing that made us stand out as that much different than today’s teenagers. I am willing to concede that it may just be my region that keeps us from feeling these cultural pressures. Numerous senior citizens tell that they did not believe in the Great Depression because everyone was poor anyway so it did not impact their life. Regardless, I know that my story is not normal.
Greg Laurie, and numerous other people, had a different coming of age story. As a teen in the 1960s and 1970s, he had a first hand view point of the counter culture movement. I am confident that his experience was amplified by his living in California. He has recorded his experience and given it to us in his new book Jesus Revolution. Through his story we see not only the dark days that so many experienced, but we also see God working through an unlikely generation.
What’s It About
The book weaves the historical events of the time with Greg’s own narrative. Greg allows us to get to know both him and some friends in greater detail. These individuals are not just characters who are perfectly reflecting the image of Christ, but they are flawed people who fight their own share of battles. We learn of how Greg met his wife Cathe. Near the end we read of Greg’s struggles with the sins of his sons. Ultimately we read of his re-commitment to continuing to fight back the kingdom of darkness even while walking through his darkest days.
Greg is quick to share his memories of how God used unlikely people to reach an unlikely generation. The stories he tells are ones that I could easily grow cold to as I think we are somehow much more evolved in my generation of Christianity. Then I remember that we are navigating our own tumultuous waters. One thing that I took away from the book is a feeling of optimism. The feeling that if God did it in an unlikely time that maybe, just maybe, he could do it again.
Where Do We Go
We could easily sit back and claim that if God did it once that he simply will not do it again. Greg does not want us to go through life feeling that way. I do not want us to live in that defeated position. Instead, Greg tells us that a revolution and a mass turning to Christ is possible today. We should be earnestly on our face before God begging him to move once again. A movement to simply introduce people will not accomplish much. We should be asking for a generation that turns into sold out followers of Christ.
Greg’s Own Words
“We long for former days of revival not because we’re nostalgic, trying to get the same experience back that we once had in the past. If we do that, our affections are sadly misplaced. No, we long for the Holy Spirit to fall upon us, our communities, and our nation in a fresh way so that God Himself would be glorified through the fruit and love of changed human lives.
What might it look like for Jesus to revive us again? It needn’t have a label, like a movement among a certain denomination or tradition, or among believers of a certain eschatological view. It needn’t be confined to Christians from megachurches or minichurches, or to those who speak in tongues or those who don’t. It needn’t be the experience of just the hipsters or the oldsters, or just those who dunk or those who sprinkle. It will be where and when and with whom God chooses. It will be a beautiful mess — and let’s just pray that it happens again. Soon.”
Connect & Learn More
- Follow Greg Laurie on Twitter (@greglaurie), on Instagram (@greglaurie), and on Facebook (@harvest.greglaurie).
- See more on Greg Laurie’s Jesus Revolution here at Baker Publishing’s website.
- Purchase Jesus Revolution from Amazon.com.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.*
