Harold John Ockenga was the leader of the Neo-Evangelical movement after WWII. He gave a speech where he outlined the challenges for the future. David Wells quoted a section of it in his own message called, The Bleeding of the Evangelical Church.
Ockenga said:
“This nation in its maturity is passing through a crisis which is enmeshing western civilization. Confusion exists on every hand. We are living in a very difficult and bewildering time, but few people realize what tremendous change we are undergoing.”
“The hour has arrived when the people of this nation must think deeply or be damned. We must recognize that we are standing at the crossroads and that there are only two ways that lie open before us. One is the road of the rescue of Western civilization by a re-emphasis on the revival of evangelical Christianity. The other is a return to the dark ages of heathendom, which powerful force is emerging in every phase of our lives today.”
Wells lamented the way that consumer marketing and material success had deluded the church into thinking it was on the right path. But in the rapid changes of the last few years, we see that Ockenga’s fear of “a return to the dark ages of heathendom” has a fearful currency. Heathen views of sex and sexuality and human beings and life itself are permeating society. Governance is giving up rule of law in favour of rule by power over “others”. What Ockenga saw as a crossroads, is for us a path we have taken much further than we may wish to admit.
Still there remains possible “the rescue of Western civilization by a re-emphasis on the revival of evangelical Christianity”. A re-emphasis is needed. A revival is required. Evangelical Christianity is retrievable.
We must move from the easy passions of speaking from our ‘gut’, and move toward the steady discipline of steeled minds who build and sow and stand inexorably against the chaos which promises to consume us, our churches and all that we hold dear.
