Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Jan/71

Contributor - Stan Vandermolen

Title - Jesus Trip: A One-Way Ticket To Somewhere

Topic - Youth

Armed with bibles, Christian ethics and a lingo filled with words like, "trip", "stoned" and "turned on", etc., long-haired, bearded, shabbily dressed young people proclaim "love" and "peace". The Jesus "freaks" as society has labelled them, reject a materialistic culture except for its basic necessities. They spot, with considerable accuracy, the hypocracies that exist within society and the institutionalized church. Who are these "freaks" that so freely speak of Jesus? Do they know what and whom they are talking about, or is this merely a "trip" that leads to nowhere? In other words is it just a passing fad or a genuine moving of the Holy Spirit? or could it be both?

The Jesus movement has been well publicized by the news media. I'm sure most people realize that we are living in a time of rapidly changing customs and fads, in dress, hair styles and religions. It appears that through the anxiety and loneliness of youthful problems the majority of young people continue to search for meaning. Rejecting the traditional resources of the church, many youth turn to groups of their peers who organize themselves around drug abuse, and increasing occult practices. The Jesus movement appears to have succeeded the practices of the occults. Many of the so-called Jesus "freaks" have given up drugs and now declare that they are "turned on" with Jesus. Is this Jesus movement simply then another in the sequence -of fads? Insofar as. publicity makes this movement the "in thing" of the moment, it is a fad. It is recognized that the news media not only report the news but also make the news. When people join a movement only because they want to be "with it", they are yielding to fadism.

But this does not appear to be the whole answer, for there are many sincere people who have joined the Jesus movement due to a genuine spiritual experience. Isn't it faith, love and obedience to God and His Word, the threefold test by which we should measure the sincerity of any God-movement? For some time, even relatively conservative church men have been saying that, if convention-al methods of the organized church are not effective in reaching men for Christ, God will use some other way. His ways are still surprising to men.

Thus far most of what I've been saying reflects what I have observed and read through the news media. However the succeeding ideas reflect a personal experience with a group of these Jesus "freaks" at our October Area Mission Festival. In a semi-lit room designated "Coffee House" it all started with a folk rock group' 'of four individuals who associated themselves with the Jesus people. Steven and his companions on their entry around midnight immediately raised many eyebrows and caused many a whisper as they prepared to put their thoughts to the listeners in music. "Freaky" they may have looked to some, but one could not help but agree with their basic philosophy or value judgments. "What are these people doing here." I heard someone say. "Do these kids go to church?" said another. "How awful" was another response. The defenses of some began to accumulate as they played on well into midnight. The effect was absolutely magnetic. Young people along with a few older folks gradually crept closer to the front watching these supercharged kids playing -and singing the loud stuff about a Jesus with which everyone there was apparently familiar. It was different alright, but somehow you couldn't help being caught up in the mood and message of it all. There was no stopping these kids, as each took turns witnessing in a hippie talk. They hated war, the Attica incident, etc., and Offered love and peace among mankind, which could only come -through knowing Jesus Christ. The people listened. Here were these hippie-looking longhaired cats, with their scruffy looking clothes, playing music you don't ordinarily expect to hear in a Christian gathering, saying right out loud that Christ really changed their lives; a simple personal appeal of Jesus Christ, had rescued each of these young men from the oblivion of their own despairing journey to nowhere. It was evident that the event belonged to the kids. Their thing was being done in their language, their dress, their kind of music. Somehow I was impressed with it all, and knew that I would be in for a treat the next days if I attended their worship session. If anyone had any doubts about their theology or the valid of hero worship, even if their hero was Christ himself, these would soon become obliterated. Because that next day with moving sincerity they began their testament which somehow caused many to want to get "with them" and partake of the full intensity of it all.

"When did your movement begin?" someone asked. "About two thousand years ago," said Steven. A thunderous ovation followed. What a beautiful answer ! ! Three out of the four admitted to having had experience with drugs, witchcraft, yoga, and other occult practices. It was explained that in a hippie culture a freak is a drug user. A Jesus "freak" refers to a hippie "stoned on" Jesus. "Now that you've found Christ and have become a Christian, why don't you cut your hair and wear normal clothes?" someone asked. Steven explained that being a Christian has nothing to do with what you look like, but it is a personal commitment to Christ which comes from within. What a classical answer! ! He went on to say that they had a much better chance of reaching those people that we, the "ordinary" people could not reach.

Someone else asked, "How do you know that this just isn't another passing fad?" "Since I've accepted Christ as my personal Saviour I've found a real peace, contentment and fulfillment not to be compared to any that came before," was the answer. Another question which brought a loud laugh was a question of cleanliness. "Do you people take a bath?" One of the chaps in a persuasive manner assured everyone that they took frequent baths.

One last question that was asked was one of survival, "How do you manage to survive with no salary?" The answer was simple, "The Lord provides". While the Jesus people do not say manna falls from heaven they do believe that all gifts of food and shelter donated to them by group members and outside organizations are gifts of God. We are always sitting in the "House of Life" saying "Thank you Lord". Some members of the "House of Life" hold regular jobs, providing food and lodging to those without jobs. Mornings begin with the full-time workers cleaning up the premises, followed by Bible studies and prayer meetings. Preaching to people in the street and to those who drop in to the "House" continues al day. Thus they are almost full time evangelists in their own right.

It was a marvellous weekend, and as I reminisce one, must admit that we can all learn from these to Jesus people. Their concern to reach out in the community at large, a condition which definitely needs to be revitalized in our institutionalized churches ought to make us envious. We appear to be so wrapped up in our own well-being that we neglect or lose sight of the needs beyond our church walls. Isn't the task of a Christian that of spreading the "Good News" to the community at large, assuming of course, that each individual has first fully examined his own relationship to Christ. Don't forget what Christ himself said "By their fruits ye shall know them". This doesn't apply only to the Jesus people, but also to those of the conventional church'. How fruitful are you in faith, love, -and obedience to God? Show me a true Jesus "freak" and I'll show you a true Christian:

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