Jesus Revolution Brings The Jesus Movement To Life
By Anne Kerhoulas
Jesus Revolution, a new film released at the end of February, depicts the Southern California Jesus Movement in a thoughtful and engaging way. Featuring Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen, and Kelsey Grammar from Frasier, the film dives into the personal lives of some of the Jesus Movements' central characters: Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee.
The Jesus Movement, which led to the founding of much of what we consider contemporary Christian music as well as enduring denominations and churches like The Vineyard and Calvary Chapel, was a powerful move of God that drew a unique kind of person to the gospel: the hippie. These Jesus People, who were saved during the Jesus Movement, experienced the power and presence of God in remarkable ways that transformed their lives forever. But as Director Jon Erwin posits in this article for Christianity Today,
"We’re at the forefront of a return to God. The harder things get and the more we need answers, the more we’re going to get movies about Christianity. I can’t think of another time people hated each other this much. It reminds me of what was going on when this movie takes place, in the 1970s. That’s why I can definitely see another one of these movements happening.”
Erwin, who has been planning and praying for this project for years, wanted to make a film that was accessible to everyone, not just Christians. Because the Jesus Movement itself brought outsiders and those living in rebellion to God into God’s family, Erwin wanted to create a film that captured the same spirit of the movement. To that end, Jesus Revolution is entertaining and engaging, drawing in the viewer to a story that seems too farfetched to be real.
Christian Union has been praying for a dramatic work of God to transform the nation in a similar way that the Jesus Movement did for the past 20 years. Christian Union America offers weekend Fire retreats, national fasts, and seeking God resources for believers across the country to join in prayer with us for God to renew and transform our culture once again.
Read the full story here.
