by Marti Fischer

This appeal is a call for a transformative and much-needed change in the lives of those who have been deeply impacted by the Jesus Movement and its profound message of renewal and grace.

Before embracing the Lord in my mid-twenties, I was a self-assured and prideful young woman, firmly rooted in my own convictions of right and wrong. However, when I encountered the boundless mercy of the Lord, my perspective shifted dramatically. The world was no longer a realm of absolutes; instead, it became a landscape painted in shades of gray, with elusive answers.

My love for the Lord did not age me but rather rejuvenated my spirit. I found a liberating freedom in His teachings, in stark contrast to the complexities of the world I inhabited where solutions were scarce, and the weight of societal issues burdened me. In this newfound journey, the Lord and I danced together, embracing joy instead of being consumed by the challenges of the day.

The grace I received allowed me to scrutinize my former self with clear eyes. I no longer targeted others with judgment, but instead, I turned my critical gaze inward. My sins of self-righteousness, dogmatism, and egotism were skewered and grilled into oblivion.

The exchange of my previous worldview for the one I now hold involved an internal conflict between the person I used to be and the emerging identity that felt increasingly authentic.

Before knowing the Lord, my beliefs were shaped by old and established teachings and influences. Thanks to the powerful message of renewal and grace, I underwent a much-needed metamorphosis. It was a process of shedding the old and embracing a new version of myself—a younger and more vibrant self.

The heart of the message was centered on Jesus and how His gospel addressed the unmet needs of my generation for love, purpose,catch community, peace, and justice. It merged the spirit of the Sixties with the teachings of the Gospels, redefining Christianity in a refreshing light. As a new believer, I was like a blank canvas, open to new life and a resurrection of my spirit. I was no longer spiritually stagnant; I was truly alive.

Yet, over the course of the past fifty years, I may have aged in more ways than one. It’s perhaps time to revisit that moment of rebirth and distance myself from the weighty realms of political and social commentary. It’s time to shed the burden of taking myself too seriously, realizing I’m not as wise as I may believe, and that I don’t need to have all the answers. The world’s challenges are intricate, and my solutions for peace and justice may have been overly simplistic. Perhaps, it’s time to infuse a bit more playfulness into life and not be so solemn. Maybe it’s time to have some fun with those around me, because, in the words of Bob Dylan, “I’m younger than that now.”