America is in need of a real Christian revival
Danvers, Mass.: Jesus has taken some bad press and is in need of a branding makeover. Thus, we have all been subjected to the “He Gets Us” marketing campaign. But the evangelicals behind it do not seem to understand the most basic elements of getting Jesus. Apparently, evangelicals hanging out with President Donald Trump was a bad idea for turning people toward the Christian faith. Its current brand looks a lot like Trump wrapped in the American flag, a machine gun in one hand and the Bible in the other. America is certainly becoming less and less a nation full of Christians. Many evangelicals feel they are losing the cultural and political war for the soul of the country. Quite frankly, they are. They deserve to lose. Church attendance has declined for decades, all while the evangelical church became louder in culture and politics. The louder they get, the more people run away.
This campaign will not bring anyone back. Jesus is a way of life, not something you purchase. It is a humble, quiet faith that heals the sick, welcomes the foreigner, serves the poor, forgives and shows mercy. Does this country feel the love from the current evangelical church? Most people would say no. It is loud, angry, judgmental and, in many ways, biblical-illiterate places of self-worship. No one is coming back to it as it is. In my observations as a minister, it fails by doing what advertisers do: pretending to be something they are not.
The teachings of Jesus are of great value and could help many experience a more fulfilling life — especially the millions of evangelical Christians who have completely ignored them.