Who Are the Hippies?

This evening I finally got to see the movie Jesus Revolution and thoroughly enjoyed it. For those who don’t know, it’s the story of Chuck Smith, Calvary Chapel and the start of the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s. It starts off with a staid, uptight pastor who suddenly meets a Jesus loving hippie named Lonnie Frisbee. Frisbee slowly disarms Smith and helps him to see the mission field all around him. Together they begin reaching the hippies and bring about one of the largest revivals in the history of the United States. The movie was really well done and quite touching at places, but there was something who hit me. As an aging pastor it becomes easy to relate to Chuck Smith, and it brings about a question. Who are the hippies of today? Who are the broken and the hurting? How can I reach those people without compromising biblical truth? Can I speak the truth in enough love to reach them? I’m still exploring these ideas and I don’t have a lot of firm answers, but I have one huge one.

Namely, I can’t do most of this on my own, and my suspicion is neither can you. We live in a world where a false sort of tolerance reigns. The only way to be envisioned as loving for many is to totally compromise biblical truth. That helps and serves no one. No the only way any of this changes is if God reaches into lives and changes hearts, and so our main tactic cannot be superior rhetoric or fabulous preaching. No, our main tactic is to seek the One who can actually change things. Our first step is prayer. We can’t start a revival in our own strength. Jesus reminded the people as much in John 6:⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” We can be the best artists in the world, but it is still God who does the drawing. (pun intended) If we want to see revival there are two things to do. Pray for revival, ask God what he would have you do, and move forward in faithfulness.

I recommend Jesus Revolution. It’s not a perfect movie, and it’s not filled with portrayals of perfect people, but it is very inspirational, and it will get you thinking. Who are your hippies? Ask God to reach them, and ask Him to help you to reach out to the people He lays on your heart.