revival and diversity

I begin this post with two precursors: 1) I fully and whole-heartedly believe Jesus when He said that He is the way, the truth and the life. 2) I am utterly and totally grateful for the culture I grew up in...ok, with those things in mind, you can keep reading:)


I was praying with a group of people a while back and found myself flinching when someone started praying for revival for their city. I found this a strange reaction for me to have. What is it about the term "revival" that caused something inside of me to feel so unsettled?

I thought about what "revival" means to me. Sadly, the first vision that comes to mind is a beautiful Indian woman replacing her colorful traditional clothing and shimmering jewelry for jeans and a Christian t-shirt. Obviously this is no where near the essence of revival but its honestly where my mind went.

When I think about revival, I don't envision transformation, I envision conformation. I envision an expectation that everyone become as close to a white, middle-class evangelical as possible. I envision conforming to a culture where you are expected to know phrases and acronyms like "BSF", "EV Free", "Contemporary Service", "Prayer of Jabez" and "popcorn prayer".

I am so grateful for the beautiful cultures and the diversity that fill this world. I love seeing various forms of magnificent and unique clothing. I love tasting foods that reveal flavors you never knew existed. I love the ornateness of a Hindu temple. I love the mystery of a woman covered in tattoos. And the sultry moves of a latino couple dancing. The amazing diversity in this world is such a testament to me of God's grandness and his utter creativity.

Revival does not mean conformation to any one specific culture. If it did, I believe that God would want nothing to do with it. Rather, revival equals transformation. It equals Christ entering into each beautiful and unique culture and redeeming it in a respectful and powerful way. Now that's something I can most definitely get behind. And with that vision in mind, I pray for revival.