The Decade in American Christianity
Essays, Featured — By Jordan Green on December 31, 2009 at 12:35 am« 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 View All»
Christian Response to the AIDS Crisis, Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami, by Jordan Green
It’s difficult to say what changed. Perhaps it was the hangover from winning the political wars of the ’90s. Maybe it was the economic downturn, or 9/11. Maybe it was when we realized AIDS wasn’t just a disease for gays and NBA superstars. Maybe we just woke up one day, looked around at our massive churches, and realized how good we had it. Most likely, it was the Holy Spirit.
Whatever it was, the American Church woke up and loved their neighbors with a vengeance. Christian charities fought poverty and disease in Africa, lead the charge in supporting those victimized by Hurricane Katrina (while government assistance faltered miserably, I might add), and aided regions devastated by the tsunami that ravaged the Indian Ocean in 2004.
While leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson earned press with inflammatory statements in the early part of the decade, and political leaders became Christian celebrities in the latter half, the truth of the American Church in the ’00s was one of compassion and unheralded service. Only history will tell if we’ll be remembered for the loudmouths or the truth.
5 Comments
Very insightful piece. I don’t think I really appreciated the significance of this decade for the Church until reading this.
Wonderful. I loved this. You cover both the lovely and the ugly bits of our last decade. Let’s hope we keep seeing more of the compassion.
this was so well done. honestly, this has been the only piece of its kind i’ve been able to read every word of this year. thank you.
Really efficiently said.