We Were There

We Were There: A Personal Take on the Jesus Revolution

The unseasonably warm weather hijacked our after-church plans, and Larry and I eagerly headed for a robust two-mile walk on our favorite trail. Upon returning to our car, we took still another turn toward spontaneity; we bought tickets to see the Jesus Revolution.

As we settled into the recliners nestling our individual buckets of popcorn, we wondered what it would be like to look back — not as hippies — but as ordinary university students who witnessed the touch of God in a movement of revival that spread from sea to shining sea.

Oh, my! The film portrays an epic period when God visited this nation with an unusual outpouring of His Spirit. More than just a walk down memory lane for Baby Boomers, the movie recounts the life of California pastor Chuck Smith, who accepted the challenge to become God’s change agent at a time of social upheaval and political unrest in the United States. For those of us who witnessed firsthand those heady days of revival, it takes us back to revisit the dramatic movement of The Holy Spirit on our campuses and in our churches.

We were there is a gripping statement consistently expressed by moviegoers, individuals who read their own stories along with the events played out on the screen. Indeed, Larry and I were no exception. We were there. And we have never been the same.

We were there at Explo ’72, the international student conference on evangelism held in Dallas, Texas, in June 1972.

We were there among the 80,000 thousand students in the Cotton Bowl who heard the booming voice of Billy Graham calling us to a lifetime of radical commitment to Christ.

We were there in some barren open field for the massive outdoor “revival rally” when Johnny Cash (joined on stage by Kris Kristofferson, Love Song, and Andraé Crouch and The Disciples) inspired everyone in the audience to stand and sing like we were heaven’s choir itself.

We were there when the copy of Time magazine hit the newsstands and forced America to sit up and take notice of Jesus and His radical followers.

And we were there in the theatre when the Jesus Revolution movie ended and the credits rolled. Others exited, but we sat riveted in our seats. With tears streaming down our cheeks, the two of us realized that the greatest credit of all goes to God Himself — God Who gave us His Son and left us His Spirit.

Back in that unusual spiritual season, God began a true Jesus Revolution in our own individual hearts. We were there. And, by His amazing grace, we are still here. God help us! May we not let up or give up til our work on earth is done, and He calls us Home to that great and glorious eternal Jesus Revolution.