A Nation Turning Back: Revival After Tragedy
The country is raw after Charlie Kirk’s death, and something unexpected is happening: people are coming to faith in droves. Pain has a way of opening questions that polite prosperity never could. Churches and believers are seeing momentum that looks like revival in slow motion.
Leaders at the American Bible Society say recent waves of engagement with Scripture and church life are striking. Dr. John Plake, editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series and chief innovation officer at ABS, says the pattern is unmistakable and biblical — when people face disruption, they often look for God. His observations match what the Scriptures have always taught: suffering drives search.
“We do see … in my lifetime, an unprecedented move toward the church, and toward God, and from places that you wouldn’t normally expect to see it,” Plake said. “Prior to this moment in time, we were witnessing a 30-year slide, a decrease in church involvement, a decrease in Bible use, a decrease in faith affiliation.”
Plake is careful to frame this as a movement, not merely a headline-grabbing spike. The pattern shows young adults returning to pews and conversations about meaning intensifying in homes and coffee shops. That kind of momentum has long-term spiritual consequences when shepherds disciple these seekers.
“I think what we’re seeing is just the latest very tragic example of the fact that disruptions lead people to question the way they’re living their lives day to day,” Plake said. “And we’ve looked at this for many years. We’ve been talking about the movable middle. These are people who are kind of Bible test drivers. They think the Bible is a good idea, they may not interact with it a lot on their own, they may be kind of confused by it or feel stopped from interacting with Scripture.”
Plake’s longer explanation is worth keeping intact because it nails the psychology of revival. “But what we notice is that in times when they experience disruption, either negative disruptions like we saw with COVID or maybe this latest incident with the Charlie Kirk murder, all of these things lead people to say, ‘Wait, the way I was living my life maybe isn’t all there is. Or maybe there are … some existential questions that I have had on the back burner, maybe haven’t given time to think about them. But now I want to know, does the Bible speak to this? Does the church speak to this? And if so, I’d like to get some answers.’”
Stories from the field back up the data. Pastors report hundreds saying yes to Christ in weeks after tragedy, and entire congregations are feeling the weight and wonder of these decisions. The fruit looks biblical: repentance, baptism, and a hunger for community and Scripture.
“I almost started weeping just hearing the number again,” Pastor Mike Signorelli said. “It’s still overwhelming to even think about it. … Five-hundred-and-thirty-three decisions for Christ of every age, [many] generations were represented, every race was represented.”
ABS research ties these moves to measurable flourishing: people who engage Scripture and church life report higher hope, lower stress, and a deeper sense of identity. “What we found, consistently, really over and over again, whether we’re using Harvard’s Human Flourishing Scales, or we’re looking at stress levels or hope levels, or you’re looking at a sense of solid identity or purpose in life, all of these things are highly correlated to people’s relationship with God, with Scripture, and with the people of God,” he said. “So, I often say, look, if you’re struggling in life, the prescription is pretty obvious — find out who you are by dipping into God’s story.”
That prescription is simple and urgent: point people to Christ, teach Scripture plainly, and disciple new believers into community. Revival without follow-through dies fast, but revival braided with discipleship reshapes families and neighborhoods. The moment is raw, but it is also a holy invitation to meet God in grief and hope.