Why suffering in the world is not only bad news
25-02-2025
Christian Life
Oscar Lohuis, BBMV
A memorial service in the Saint Nicholas church in Orebro, Sweden, on February 5, 2025 one day after a shooting at the adult education centre Campus Risbergska school, where eleven people were killed. Photo AFP, Jonathan Nackstrand, Canva.com
Christian Life
Have we reached the low point of secularisation? Over the last few months, some voices have said this. Reports have come from several quarters of the Western world that a change is coming.
Since the 1960s in particular, when the sexual revolution erupted, church attendance has dropped from 80 per cent to around 20 per cent. Many have turned their backs on the church and do not believe in the God of the Bible anymore.
There is, however, a remnant of people who still seek the Lord God. They have come to know Him and long to live according to His Word and will.
Dead end
Of course, the consequences of abandoning church (and God) did not fail to materialise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In other words, without the reverence of God, folly increases.
In the last few months, it has become my conviction that this foolishness has now caused so much confusion and misery in society that it will turn the tide.
More and more well-known people turn to the Lord Jesus and come to faith in Him even though they do not have a Christian background at all. Two of these, for example, are former radio presenter Adam Curry and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who originally came from a fundamentalist Muslim background.
In some places, many young people are coming to faith, and in more and more towns and city centres, young people want to reach out to others with the Gospel.
Return
For the following reasons, I believe more people will become open to believe the Gospel, accept the Bible and have faith in the Lord Jesus.
First, look at the extent of mental distress among young people. Many young people approach mental health institutions for help because of their severe psychological distress.
Research shows that 35 per cent of people of that age suffer from severe mental problems. Often, they can only get help after six months because of waiting lists. As many as 62 per cent of students experience feelings of loneliness. Suicide is the number one cause of death among people in their twenties.
Second, not having a spiritual and moral compass. Most teenagers and people in their twenties today were not raised with faith. So, they do not turn away from what they have inherited from home. In many cases, their parents have an attitude of ‘it's all up to you’.
The result is great confusion, emptiness and lack of purpose. What is the goal of life? What is worth living and dying for? Where do we get our values from? How do we learn the art of living? Where do we find support and what is our security as vulnerable and mortal human beings? Young people are looking for answers to such questions.
Third, the break-up of many families through divorce. When I was younger, hearing about parents splitting up was an exception. By now, however, almost 50 per cent of all marriages in The Netherlands end in divorce.
Father and mother breaking up is always terrible for a child, even if divorcing one another is better than staying together with a lot of strife. The lack of love is a frightful experience for any child.
Knowledge of the Gospel gives people an understanding of many things, such as the importance of forgiveness, the value of being faithful and what sexuality is meant to be like. This can lead to real intimacy and security, as well as the beauty of what I would call covenant love.
The Bible speaks of the Lord God making a covenant with His people Israel. The Bible also tells us that we, as gentiles, may likewise stand in that covenant relationship with Him. The fear of the Lord gives wisdom for building lasting relationships.
Fourth, there is loneliness among the elderly. Many elderly people feel lonely and do not live in community with relatives, friends or fellow believers. Being part of a church entails looking after and caring for each other, which in turn brings about new social connections and involvement.
In the communion of saints, beautiful things happen that deliver people from their sense of loneliness. This is another reason why it is so much more attractive not to leave the church.
Five, the absurdity of the gender ideology. Someone said to me, “The very thing that is clear and fundamental concerning mankind (namely that we are made up of men and women), is denied by the ideology gaining ground today.” But even that certainty is being taken away.
Young people are strongly affected by this development, even to such an extent that many of them start doubting their sex or gender. Years ago, the Dutch Social-Liberal government minister Ingrid van Engelshoven wanted to ban toy shops from still having boys’ and girls’ sections. Fortunately, a storm of protest erupted from across society, not just Christians.
Similarly, the disgusting, gender-confused opening of the Paris Olympics, which also insulted Christianity, received a lot of criticism from people you wouldn't expect from.
Continued prayer
The greater the need in society, the more the ground is prepared for a spiritual awakening and a return to the Lord.
Spiritual revival is not something organised by man. It is only by God’s powerful intervention that sinners are discovered to themselves, come to humility and take refuge in Jesus Christ. Let us pray that His mighty acts of the past will be renewed in our days (see Habakkuk 3:2).
This article was published before in Dutch by Bijbels Beraad M/V.
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