TGIF
Over the past few years, I have shared a number of TGIF messages expressing the need for a large-scale Christian revival in our country and across the world. I gave examples of the potential for revivals from the Asbury Kentucky revival example a few years back, from the near death of Damar Hamlin to cardiac arrest during a televised pro football game and the great outpouring of prayer for him that continued for some days after the event, and for the efforts of our national Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCS) team to bring young athletes to God.
So imagine my surprise a few days ago when I learned of the choice of Robert Prevost to become the 267th person to serve as Pope of the Catholic Church. For the rest of his life, Robert will take the name of Pope Leo XIV. I was surprised mainly because Pope Leo XIV was the first American born Pope ever selected. Here are a few relevant comments from an online news article I read – Prevost had been a leading candidate for the papacy, but there had long been a taboo against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power the country already wields. But Prevost was seemingly eligible because he’s also a Peruvian citizen and had lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as bishop, and cardinals may have thought the 21st century world order could handle a U.S.-born pope. …. Francis, history’s first Latin American pope, clearly had his eye on Leo XIV and in many ways saw him as his heir apparent. He sent Leo XIV to take over a complicated diocese in Peru, then brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. And in January, Francis elevated Leo XIV into the senior ranks of cardinals, giving him prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.
My surprise is tied to the implications for the new Pope to potentially have a major impact on church revival in future years, both in the US and globally. Now, I am not saying that he will or won’t, I just believe that God has sent us something else to consider as we move forward in the coming years under Pope Leo XIV. Another commentator I heard on TV after the Pope selection shared that there has been an uptick in Catholics returning to their church roots in the last year. I also have seen Lou Holtz doing quite a few TV ads over the last 6 months or so for the Catholic Church.
I have also independently heard that there is a big uptick in interest from young adults for meaning in their lives, and that many of them are now also turning to Christianity. So maybe there is hope for a Christian revival in our country and globally. We certainly all need to pray that this can occur, and will occur to bring back our US motto “One Nation Under God”!!!
The only way we can successfully turn back the hate, anger, and evil that seems to be consuming our country and the world lately is to love everyone, and shine our light brightly throughout our daily walk to everyone with whom we come into contact.
The selection of Pope Leo XIV gives us additional hope for our future, and for a very needed revival of Christianity both in the US and around the world!