This summer marked the end of an era for Soul Survivor – Week C was their final event at the Royal Bath and West showground after 24 years of using that venue. But the end of the summer also brings some excellent news: 1,527 young people made commitments to follow Jesus. Let that number just sit for a second. You are reading this as an individual and presumably as someone who already has a relationship with God. One thousand five hundred and twenty-five individuals encountered Jesus this summer and gave their lives to him. Boom.
Now if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time then you may have encountered some cynicism and adopted a bit of a doubting-Thomas complex. You may see the number and ask: out of the 1,527 how many will still be following Jesus in five, ten or even 50 years’ time? How many of that number were recommitments, because surely they don’t really count? How many people just got swept up in the emotion and didn’t have a ‘real’ conversion? In some senses, these are legitimate questions and sadly, some of these young people probably won’t still be walking with God later down the line but these things are not for us to worry about; that stuff is all in God’s hands. Our response is to celebrate and pray. We should celebrate if the number of young people had been 150, 15 or even one.
Luke 15 tells us that there is a party to ends all parties when just one lost soul turns to God; I want to be part of that party. Think about what one young person represents: their family, friends, school, college, future career and children, and church. 14 years ago, I was one of the 1,527; a rebellious and haughty 14-year old with a penchant for activities more likely practiced a few miles up the road at Glastonbury than at Soul Survivor. But then God ‘showed up’ and broke into my life in a dramatic way. I was dragged along to the Christian festival by an incredibly gracious youth leader but, much to his distress, refused to go to any of the main sessions, opting to sit outside smoking and chatting up girls. I nearly got sent home for missing my curfew two nights in a row and bringing girls back to my tent, but eventually I ended up in the big top. During the worship, I had a profound encounter with God and gave my life to him.
It has been a rocky path at points but my life has looked completely unrecognisable since that moment at Soul Survivor. I have had the opportunity to share my story with so many people since then – to reveal to them the transforming power of God’s grace. I don’t write this to point to me, but to give you a story of the one. To help us see the potential of 1,527 individuals going out into our world as beacons of hope and love. We should celebrate and pray for those young people because they will encounter a lot of life away from the Royal Bath and West showground and there will be plenty of bumps along the way, but our God is a God who does bumps.
Will Jackson is a musician in London. He leads worship and helps out with young people in his local church.
