2025 - a year of Jesus as an influencer?

It was a minor sensation when Swedish research firm Ungdomsbarometern identified the return of religion and the search for meaning as one of the main trends for 2025. And not just religion in general, but the person of Jesus in particular.

Christianity's leading figure could therefore be this year's biggest influencer. At least if we restrict ourselves to Generation Z - the 15-24 age group.

And it is not just Sweden that has been affected by this trend. Just over a year ago, Ipsos presented an international study showing that more young adults than older people in northern and central Europe attend churches, mosques and other religious buildings. In Sweden, the increase was as high as 34 per cent.

The English-speaking world has also recently seen a large number of cultural figures coming out as Christians. Indeed, in the face of the growth of Islam in Europe, even an atheist like Richard Dawkins has called himself a cultural Christian.

Most recently, the Bible and the Christian faith were the subject of the influential Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

In fact, we see signs of this in many of our churches too. There are reports of a renewal in church youth work from all over Scandinavia. And that raises the question: What could Jesus contribute as an influencer in this context?

As a Christian, it is obvious to me that the more we take him and his claims seriously, the more opportunity he has to transform our lives. But even those who have not taken the step of accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour can be inspired by him in the following ways, for example:

- Jesus put others before himself. He didn't force his way in, but approached those around him with an attitude of service and respect. He resisted the 'what's in it for me' attitude of consumer culture, without becoming a doormat. He demonstrated complete integrity, never compromising on what he believed to be good, true and right.

- Jesus saw opportunities where others saw hopelessness. He deliberately sought out the outcasts of his time, and did not consider himself too good to socialise with people who were not politically correct. Instead of exclusion, he practised inclusive community, changing the hearts of even the most difficult people.

- Jesus was not afraid to challenge power. He had an uncanny ability to identify and see through power structures.

But unlike today's intersectionality thinking, he did not play different groups off against each other. Instead, he exposed pride wherever he found it, and he embraced love and humility in the most unexpected places.

- Jesus was more interested in the inside than the outside. He cherished spiritual practices in secret, rather than surface and worldly success. He lived his life IRL rather than on social media. At the same time, he emphasised the importance of a faith that has consequences in everyday life, rather than loud manifestations and good intentions.

- Jesus was allergic to whataboutism. He expected personal accountability and a frank acknowledgement of one's mistakes and shortcomings. Confession was followed by forgiveness, which fundamentally changed the circumstances of an person's life. Only the truth, he said, sets a person free.

- Jesus offered hope. Again and again in his teaching he spoke of another kingdom, an upside-down kingdom that does not operate according to the rules of this world. Where the first will be last and the last will be first. Where neither money, nor gadgets, nor worldly power are decisive, but where the horizon extends into eternity.

When we contrast this with what characterises the social media of our time - the waters in which Generation Z swims - it is easy to see why Jesus fascinates. In one area after another, he simply goes against the tide. Perhaps he can become the revolutionary that so many older Europeans have forgotten he ever was?

Olof Edsinger, secretary general of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance.

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