An influx of people is nothing new around here. It's Athens, people come and go for as many reasons as you could possibly think of and then some. Still, the number that I've come across lately is interesting for a very specific reason - they say it was God telling them to come. Some of these people are still not sure that they even like this place, but they're here anyway. It seems that the prayers prayed years ago are being answered. Not as quickly or in the way that was probably intended, but the currents are moving differently now. A steady force this time. There's a calm within the force of the movement that bears no uncertainty. I think that when what is beginning becomes apparent we will be swept along with it. I heard my father say over and over again that the evidence of a true revival is that it is obviously, unmistakably the work of God. I'm starting to believe that what I saw almost ten years ago happened that very day, and it has taken this long for us to be ready. Some of it has not happened though. In order to live without fear of demon or spirit, we must know who we truly are.
While we hope that peace will come to the land that cradled the people of our faith, such a place receives contempt for that very reason. Still, we owe our brothers and sisters our prayers and support. Whatever the outcome of human action, there was a purpose for every interaction.
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Revival is always a movement that is associated with God, but I've always thought more that it was inspired by passion. It is complex to explain, but let me try.
In my worldview, God does not micromanage. The paths we walk will lead us to forks in the road where decisions must be made. We make those decsions for ourselves. If we take God's counsel into account, then we choose a certian path. If we ignore that counsel, we choose a certain path. There are paths God wants us to take, but they are not exclusive. There are paths that we take for the right reasons or the wrong reasons, but we already know where those paths will lead. But, to draw a quote from science fiction, there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
To get back to this revival issue: most folks aren't even walking any path. They started down one, got scared of what they think is at the end of the path or didn't like where they were going, they don't like where they came from, or maybe they're just lazy. Most folks aren't walking their own paths, they're just sitting on a stone by the wayside. (my particular resting spot looks vaugely like a woodland tavern with cold beer and fried potatoes, but I digress) Not that there's anything wrong with that, we all have to sit down once in a while, but if you sit there for too long, you gather moss.
Revival occurs when a large number of people get up off those stones and start walking their paths. Because of the traffic, some paths become easier and attract more traffic. Suddenly, everyone is moving in a similar direction at speed, and you have the shofar: the weak, mighty, terrible army that brought down the walls of Jerico with the sounds of their voices and horns alone. "To Zion, we march through with African Mayans, conquering Babylon with the heart of a Lion." -L. Hill.
Therin lies the Revival, therein lies a movement. Sometimes it is for the greater good, in some rare cases it is for the greater evil. The core of revival has to do with motion.
Usually, the people walk seperate paths and sit on seperate stones, and the way of the world is determined by those few individuals who have placed themseves at the most popular intersections. Their voices are weak, but sound overloud and falsely important in comparison to the quiet. Revival pushes these little men out of the way, and drowns their singular voices with the mighty roar of the thousands - small voices themselves when taken alone, but roaring like a lion when moving together.
I will say right now that I feel that old wind blowing. I've already said that I have my horizon line and a favor'd weather gauge. Little things let me know. St Simons just had a monster summer. Brunswick is at point of takeoff. Athens is getting ready to pop once again. I'm reading reports from Egypt and Palestine and London where good men and women are standing up to the bad in greater numbers, and with greater vision and greater words. We are starting to roar. That pendulum is swinging, back from its event horizon of non motion apex, and that great shift of the world, that great turning of the tide, has inspired more people to get off their stones and put on those old walkin' blue shoes.
And just like that, the world was just the same, but entirely different.
My opinion anyhow.
No, God doesn’t micromanage, but He doesn’t just hang out in heaven letting us stumble around completely on our own. We can choose to if we like, as that was the point of giving us the gift of our own individual will. But He’s always there, in everything, even when we can’t see it, or sense it, or figure it out.
You’re right, part of the birth of a Revival is the convergence of individual’s paths. There had to be a desire for something in the hearts of many of the people involved. It’s not always the same in each person, and they don’t always know (as a majority) until they’re in it. This is the reason that a tent meeting or “tent revival” is different from a Revival. A tent revival is a meeting set up by a man (or woman – I’m just going to use “man” to make this easier). There’s nothing wrong with this, and usually there are manifestations of the Holy Spirit (trinity). Again, this is fine. A Revival is different because while there are people involved, it goes beyond the scope of “man set this up.” It’s obvious that there was a greater force involved, that something beyond the everyday or the natural stepped in and brought about a change. Is this going against free will? No. Why? Because people can still choose to accept or reject. They also choose what to do with the results. C.S. Lewis argued that prayer and action were two of, if not the most, important gifts given to man by God to affect change. He also believed that prayer has greater cataclysmic potential, as it is an element of the spiritual realm. A mass or a mob has power. However, it is nothing compared to the power of God. If you try to take the supernatural out of a Revival, it is just a group of people, but you can’t make a Revival out of a just group of people. It’s the element of the supernatural that makes the difference.
People are standing up in great numbers, and with greater purpose. Personally I’ll go out on a limb here and say that a good portion of it probably has to do with an individual knowledge of who they are, and Who has their backs.
That's also why I began this thread with "this is my worldview." ;) Over here in the land of Patrick, God does not just hang out in heaven, letting us bumble around. And that's how I set up free will in my mind. When God and I converse, I always imagine the conversation taking place over a cold beer and nachos with blues on the jukebox and the game on TV. We go over my decisions like two Monday morning quarterbacks, but again, that's just me. The idea of pearly gates et al just does not fit inside my worldview. But it doesn't seperate me from God.
As to God being in all things, I think that is correct and incorrect. God created all things, and I'll say it again, I don't think he micromanages. God exists in the faith that I hold for Him. For example: We do not need the Ten Commandments in the Courts or Schoolhouses because God is in my heart, and therefore he comes into the places that I go. Things on the wall are just decoration. I believe people of real faith see it that way as well, for there are places in this world where God is difficult to find, unless we look to our own hearts while we stay in those places.
I hope that makes sense.
You seem to see Revival only in terms of religion. I see Revival as much, much more. It is more than people getting together, and the supernatural does come into play. It is not that "a man set this up," true true, but when such a force gathers, it becomes We set this up. Therein lies the power. But, in my beliefs, We can get that going without God's direct intervention, not that he is absent from such things, as He is what inspires us to action in the first place.
So really, we agree on most of it, we just diverge on where, exactly, God applies his influence, and the overall purpose of a Revival.
But that's just my opinion.
I like your image of a conversation with God over a cold one. It reminds me of the “no, the Bible says water into WINE, not grape juice,” fact that some people need reminding of. ;)
When I refer to God being in everything, it’s in a couple of ways. First, a creator leaves his mark. Second, I do believe that all things are held together by His word (or command). Just for the sake of clarity for anyone else who might be reading this blog . . . I’m not going to go worship a tree or anything. :)
The Ten Commandments are great to follow, even if someone isn’t a Christian. BUT . . . hanging them on the wall doesn’t matter much if you don’t actually put them into practice, so I’m not really worried about whether they’re hanging in a courthouse. Personally I think the government should be protected from the Church sometimes, but that’s another discussion.
To me, religion is a set of rules one follows to feel better about one’s life. I believe that a personal relationship with God is what changes people for the better. Personally, I believe the key element in Revival is the presence of God. I’ve either seen firsthand or actually experienced a lot of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Those were pretty important in every Revival I’ve ever studied or experienced. So to me, taking the power of the Trinity out is like removing the fabric from a kite. There’s still a frame, but nothing to cover it, and nothing to make it soar. It’s just not the same.
But that’s just my belief. :)
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