There’s been much buzz since the tragic death of Charlie Kirk about revival, young people coming to Christ, and a distinctively conservative Christian turn in our nation, driven by the young. These are young people (mostly men) hungry for a vision of life that is robust in politics and religion, not shy on either front. I’ve written about this phenomenon last week some. As a theological and political conservative Christian myself, I desire people to come to know Jesus and rejoice when they find him, and I like that people are turning to political conservatism. However, I do think there are some potential challenges to this movement. I don’t say problems. This isn’t an article on the problematic nature of young political conservatives. But the potential challenges of faithfully acting as Christians and living as political conservatives in our moment in history, which I think is no easy task for reasons that I will explain.
I see three major challenges facing this movement of young people. First, a dramatic decline in reading coupled with an over-dependence on technology may make it difficult for them to put down deep theological and philosophical roots. Second, the gender divide on social issues means that the movement is predominantly male. Some effort needs to be made to bridge this divide. And third, tying “conservativism” narrowly to the current manifestation of the GOP will mean excusing authoritarianism, systematic lying, and the demonization of others.
Is it good that young people are coming to see that they are “not their own but belong to God”? Absolutely! Praise God! But as with any large cultural shift, there are bumps in the road. Let’s be serious about those bumps and talk about what we need to do to smooth them out.
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