We live in a different world than we did just two weeks ago. The Charlie Kirk memorial service was a moment like nothing we’ve seen in this country in a long, long time.
Much was said about Kirk and his outsized impact at just 31 years old, but more importantly, his life became a platform to talk about Jesus Christ. Kirk’s widow, his friends, his coworkers, and even numerous members of the presidential administration all spoke about Christ’s Lordship over all things, His love, and His desire for all to be saved.
Coupled with the large number of posts saying “I just bought a Bible” or “I just started reading the Bible for the first time” or “I went back to church this Sunday,” it’s hard not to be excited.
These could be the early days of a much-needed national return to God.
Our people need Jesus, and our nation needs to repent. This is undeniable. We have become a wicked people who have accepted sin without a second thought. The most important thing Americans can do individually and en masse is to repent and confess Christ as Lord.
On the other hand, this could be a post-9/11 bounce, with a temporary bump in church attendance and other religious habits that calms down once people think the coast is clear.
What can we do to sustain the momentum?
As the fields are “white unto harvest,” the time for action is now. That being the case, we should be finding ways to spread our influence in three different realms.
The Individuals
Vice President J.D. Vance’s remarks capture exactly how it should be for those of us who have been evangelistically shy: “I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public, as much as I love the Lord and as much as it is an important part of my life. I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life.”
Now is the moment to talk to the people in our lives about Jesus. Have that conversation, use cultural talking points to bring it back to Jesus, invite somebody to worship. We just don’t ever know whose hearts are open to it until we try.
Though this is the most obvious step, it’s not the only one. Unfortunately, too often we stop here.
The Public Square
The public square takes many forms, but in whatever way we engage in it, now is the time to boldly proclaim our faith. The clearest form is social media, of course. Many Christians are on Facebook, and it’s been good to see so much talk about religion on there in recent days.
But we don’t have to stop there, even with regard to social media. X needs more Christian voices. YouTube needs more Christian voices. TikTok, as much as I despise it, needs more Christian voices. Like Paul on Mars Hill, we can go where the people are and use their culture to guide the conversation to Christ.
And, though the in-person public square has largely disappeared, there are still opportunities in social clubs and other local organizations. Take the opportunities to have conversations and strike while the iron is hot.
(As an aside… meet people where they are. Don’t come in swinging, talking about how everyone is wrong but us. Nobody listens to the guy who starts off that way.)
The Institutions
This one has long been eschewed by many in the churches of Christ, and many in Christendom in general, but it’s one of the best ways to produce lasting change. Whether through local government, school systems, or any other prominent institution, our leaven can work even faster if it gets into places where it can yield returns for years to come.
One of the biggest reasons why things have gotten so bad in this country is because evil people saw these institutions as a vehicle to spread their ideas. They set off on their “long march through the institutions” because they had vision and knew their long-term planning would pay off. And, boy, has it.
There is no reason we can’t do the same thing. Our short attention span and ideological glorification of losing has convinced many that these institutions can always only be steered by bad guys. We think bottom-up influence like evangelism is good, and top-down influence is evil. There is no reason we cannot do both.
Jesus told His apostles they would stand before rulers (Matthew 10:18), and that’s exactly what happened by the end of the book of Acts (Acts 24-26). If Jesus was against top-down influence, why would He view that as significant? Daniel and his friends, along with Nehemiah, Ezra, Mordecai, and Esther all show us how God’s people can steer institutions to His glory.
As we consider how to capture this moment of revival, the short-term actions of speaking to individuals and participating in the public square are good. But we should also be planning for long-term change, and the institutions are more open to Christian influence than they have been in a long time.
If you’re already in there, here’s your chance to push the Christian agenda forward. If you’re not, maybe consider finding a way in. Or, find who you can get behind to do it for you. It’s one of the best ways to turn this short-term momentum into long-term change.
Keep pushing
I hope we’re all excited and energized by what we’re seeing. The opportunity is before us to make sure it’s much more than a nice moment, and we need to be ready to move to take advantage of it.
To be honest, I could do a much better job on all three of these levels. Connecting with individuals, having the courage to bring Christ into conversations, and participating locally are all a challenge. But they are challenges worth taking, because souls are at stake.
It would not be out of place for church leaders to have meetings specifically about this. In many cases, we did not have our people ready and did not have the infrastructure built to capture the moment as it arrived. Still, it’s better late than never.
More than anything, we should all be in prayer that God will use us and will open doors of opportunity for us to spread His name far and wide.
Notes
If you want to hear more, this week’s Think Deeper Podcast goes in-depth about what I discussed in this article
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Appreciate your cogent telling of the truth and your humility.
You’re exactly right—this moment demands more than fleeting emotion. We must step into it with the courage of Proverbs 28:1: ‘The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.’ If this is to be more than a post-9/11-style bounce, we need to embrace that lion-hearted boldness in every sphere—personal, public, and institutional. Revival cannot survive on enthusiasm alone; it requires repentance, conviction, and a willingness to stand firm when the world pushes back. If we want to see lasting change, we cannot shrink into the shadows.
Now is the time to live, speak, and act as if Christ truly reigns.