The first step is James 5:16 prayer
I read the news today. Oh boy.
Headline 1: “How to reverse our unravelling social cohesion.” Orderly diplomacy between nations has been set aside due to mass migration, climate change, the rise in nationalism and volatile leadership. On a local level, we are disconnected from one another because so much is done online. According to the author, it all spells existential crisis. We’re coming apart.
Headline 2: “Suddenly everyone’s worried about AI wiping out humanity.” Seriously, what was once science fiction is now being discussed openly by respected thinkers and tech leaders. The Nobel-winning professor widely regarded as the “godfather of AI” says there is a 10 to 20 per cent chance AI will cause human extinction in the next three decades. A respected computer scientist puts it at 99.9 per cent in the next century.
Maybe there’s some grandstanding. Doomer predictions have always sold news. Or you can dismiss it all as This Generation’s Angst. But even so, a nagging doubt can persist in even the coolest, calmest mind.
No wonder Hope is in short supply. As a pastor and psychotherapist and a former journalist, I am conditioned to have an eye for this. What has me concerned is the lack of hope in younger people.
They are being filled with doom and gloom from a multitude of issues . . . They are trapped. They are emotional prisoners.
Younger generations used to be the source of hope and new life on a human level. No more. Gen Z and the Millennials are more likely to be depressed and discouraged. They’re not having babies. And many of them see no hope for the future.
There are many things weighing them down. There is the ridiculous rise in the cost of living – especially housing. There are all the jobs that are contract rather than full-time with benefits and pensions. And because many of them are constantly plugged in – always in front of a screen of some type – they are being filled with doom and gloom from a multitude of issues. The fear of climate change, the reality of political polarization and economic unpredictability create a persistent sense of dread about the future. They are trapped. They are emotional prisoners.
Another thing is the pace of change. Psychology has known for decades that change is stressful – doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad. For most of human history, change was linear – 1+1=2. 2+1=3 and so on. Until the Industrial Revolution, it was slower than molasses in January. Slower than a herd of turtles. Things picked up with industrialization but they started to hit warp speed with the digital revolution. Change went from linear to exponential. 2×2=4, 4×4 is 16 and so on. This affects everyone, for sure. But younger people because they don’t know anything else. Those who were raised prior to the 1990s know what it’s like not to have a cell phone or a computer. We went to the library to do research. We’ve all been told by a librarian to hush. There is a certain peace in that.
Not all young people lack hope, of course. In my travels, the younger folks I see who exhibit genuine hope also have Christ. Again, this is true for people of all ages. Our hope comes from Almighty God, all powerful, and all knowing, the author of the universe, as it was in the beginning, is now and always will be. People who live secular lives get their hope on a human level, either from themselves or others, community involvement, human progress, and finding fulfillment in the present life. In my mind, there is no comparison, no contest.
In my preaching and blogs, one constant message I have for the church today is that Christ is the only true hope for the world. The Holy Spirit of the Living God is the solution for every problem we have – from the insurmountable issues to the tiniest problems in our personal lives.
We went to the library to do research. We’ve all been told by a librarian to hush. There is a certain peace in that.
(One qualification, though. The Lord will not eradicate the problems. Rather, He is the way through them. He called Himself “the way, the truth and the life.” He is our strength.)
We are not going to get Hope from governments, schools or even service clubs. It comes from the church, the worldwide body of believers, followers of Christ.
Which brings me to the second word – Witness.
There is a vital need for followers of Christ, men especially, to stand up, to speak out, to take action. To tell the world the reason for the hope we have. Too many of us are silent. The Body of Christ is asleep.
There are plenty of sayings out there about the dangers of remaining silent in the face of lies and injustice. Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel said: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor . . . Silence encourages the tormentor.” Albert Einstein observed: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” What they say is true not because of their reputation but because it’s backed up by scripture: James 4:17: “It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
In June, during our denomination’s annual official gathering known as General Assembly, a young minister got up and made a bold proposition, that each of the three Presbyterian seminaries in Canada incorporate apologetics – the systematic defense of the Christian faith – into their curriculum somehow. The need was great. Her congregation was in Brampton, where half the population is Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. This pastor is a solid Biblical believer and has the heart of an evangelical. Seminary did not prepare her to practice the Great Commission (go into the world, spread the Word, teach and baptize in the name of the Lord.) You don’t have to be in Brampton. Followers of Christ are outnumbered pretty much everywhere.
There is a vital need for followers of Christ, men especially, to stand up, to speak out, to take action. To tell the world the reason for the hope we have. Too many of us are silent. The Body of Christ is asleep.
Her proposal failed, which was not a surprise, because most of The Presbyterian Church in Canada is liberal, progressive and woke and sees the Great Commission as being about social justice rather than salvation .
What made me angry was the fact that in the Assembly were a significant number of elders and ministers who agreed with the need to get serious about the Great Commission, but refused to stand and speak up. During a break in the proceedings, supporters gathered around and encouraged her, some giving advice on what to say. These were Godly people with excellent points. I’d hoped that they would rise and speak in favour. But no, mostly silence.
Part of the reason for the reluctance to speak out is that no one has the stomach to fight. I admit, it’s not easy. Why do it when you’re just going to get shot down. So they speak the truth from their pulpits and in safe places, but better to remain quiet in public because they don’t need the stress. And it is a very stressful world. Why add to it.
The Great Commission was not intended to be gentle words spoken in polite company. The Lord was bold and butted heads with the church leaders of the day. He paid with his life. We are the Body of Christ and are commanded to do what He did.
The Apostle Paul was a great encourager. In the opening words of the fourth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul the prisoner, begged the church – that was the word he used — “I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” (Ephesians 4:1.) What followed was a long list of what to do: be humble and gentle, patient with each other, forgive each other because we’re not perfect, be united in the Spirit. And use your gifts: we are “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.”
Part of the reason for the reluctance to speak out is that no one has the stomach to fight. . . . Why do it when you’re just going to get shot down. So they speak the truth from their pulpits and in safe places, but better to remain quiet in public because they don’t need the stress.
You don’t have to be an elder or a pastor or be a graduate of seminary or Bible College. Every believer has a sacred duty to build up the church as a disciple making machine for Christ. Everyone can be a witness.
Hope and witness don’t just spring from nowhere. They are the direct products of an individual soul’s acceptance and submission to Christ. Hope can only come from a supernatural, spiritual connection to the Creator.
The author of the first Headlined story offered volunteerism as the key to reviving our communities. Governments, communities and businesses need to promote volunteerism through existing agencies. Create an incentive such as a tax deduction for volunteer hours. While that’s worthy and noble, it won’t address the underlying illness because it’s all done on a human level. Truly, we live and move in a sin sick world and Jesus is the only cure.
I don’t have any prophecy or vision to share other than encouragement. There is no specific command, other than to know scripture and live according to scriptural truth. The first place to begin is with prayer. James 5:16 – “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” The Holy Spirit will open the door for witnessing to happen. The Holy Spirit will provide the person, the opportunity and the words.
It’s deceptively simple, even easy. It begins with prayer. But we don’t do it. I don’t do it enough. I believe that if a critical number of believers, starting with the men, prayed that earnest prayer every day, we might see a revival. Or maybe even a radical awakening.
Let’s start right now. Let’s pray.
Note – The main message of this blog was presented to the men’s breakfast group at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Petrolia, Ontario on Sept. 12, 2026. It has been adapted and updated for Living in Truth.
Main Graphic: Amalgam of Canadian newspaper mastheads – Google AI image
Filler graphic: Men’s breakfast poster
