In a May 11 appearance on Fox News, Pastor Greg Laurie spoke to Kayleigh McEnany about the impact of the “Jesus Revolution” film and the ongoing need for evangelism in America. During the four-minute interview, Laurie addressed why the movie has been so well received and is so timely.
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To introduce the segment, McEnany shared the scene of Laurie being baptized by preacher Lonnie Frisbee, saying it “gives me chills.” After recapping the success of “Jesus Revolution,” she asked Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California, what makes the film so powerful.
It’s “resonating with people because it’s a message of hope,” Laurie responded, “and it’s a true story of a time in American history when it looked like culture was collapsing, and people were just turning away from God…and many thought it was perhaps the demise of our country.” While people were talking about a sexual revolution and a political revolution, he noted, “God sent a Jesus revolution.”
Greg Laurie on the Effects of Spiritual Awakening
Greg Laurie and Kayleigh McEnany discussed the contrast between two real-life Time magazine cover stories: the stark question “Is God Dead?” (1966) and the psychedelic Jesus Revolution image (1971). The transformation not only shows “how bleak things were,” Laurie said, but “it shows what happens when a spiritual awakening takes place in America.”
The pastor pointed to recent research showing that members of Generation Z are “very interested in spiritual things.” More than 50%, he said, want to know more about Jesus. That’s key, Laurie added, because his own experience and the film point not to a “religious revolution” but to “a Jesus revolution, where people were turning to God and having an encounter with him.”
That’s what happened to Laurie. “My life was changed,” he told McEnany. “I was going the wrong way fast. My life was turned around because of a relationship with Jesus Christ, and he’s still in the life-changing business.”
Evangelism: Meeting People Where They Are
The Fox News host recounted having dinner with Laurie and his wife, Cathe, and hearing more about their experiences. What stood out, McEnany said, was that the real-life preachers portrayed in the “Jesus Revolution” movie “met people where they were…washing the feet of the hippies, welcoming them in just as Jesus would’ve done.” She asked Laurie why that approach is so important today, especially with members of Gen Z.
“I think the church has an opportunity, right now in culture,” he replied, “and our job is to bring hope, our job is to bring help, our job is to bring people to the Lord.” Laurie added, “That’s what I do. I’m an evangelist.” He plugged the upcoming 2023 Harvest Crusade, which takes place July 1 and 2 in Anaheim, California.
