The arena is said to hold 18,000 and, from the looks of the lines, this crowd was going to pack it. As we stood along with others waiting for the doors to open, one thing was clear–these people were energized and focused. You could tell by the animated conversations and the messages emblazoned on their t-shirts. Richard and I were both a little anxious; it had been four days since the U.S. election, and our nerves were frayed. We also felt a bit out of place because as far as we could see, we were the oldest people there.

We followed the throng, opened our bags for security check and entered the arena. We found seats on the aisle, ready for a quick escape if necessary. As our eyes adjusted to the dark, we noted the girl in front of us had the word “OVERCOMER” on the back of her shirt. A massive lighting show began illuminating the entire dark arena with wildly roving laser beams, clouds of white fog and brilliant spotlights. What followed was the loudest and most energetic Christian music concert we have ever attended. We were tempted to leave for no other reason than to preserve our aged eardrums.

But we stayed; and before long, we were clapping and swaying and joining in a massive celebration of victory. Not political–spiritual. The thousands of young people surrounding us rejoiced with the rappers, singers, and speakers. They were overcomers because of what Jesus has done in their lives.

Eight bands and two hours later a group looking like they had stepped right out of Duck Dynasty took the stage. With one strum and one word, nearly every person in that arena stood to their feet and sang in unison:

Oh, how He loves us…how he loves us all!

Our spirits were touched to the core. We were standing among thousands of America’s youth singing the one truth we all share: God loves us and we’re “sinking” in His grace. We knew this contemporary song so we belted it out right along with the crowd.

And then, the lead singer silenced the band and began singing Woody Guthrie’s well-known song from the 50s: “This land is your land, this land is my land.” Surprisingly, the entire crowd rose stood again and sang in grateful accord.

There is no doubt it has been a rough week, but while standing in an arena filled brothers and sisters decades younger than us—we felt hope and optimism. On this, we could agree:

He loves us, oh how He loves us. How He loves us all.

written by Leona Bergstrom, Director, Re-Ignite
Song: How He Loves. Lyrics by John Mark McMillan, Published by Integrity’s Hosanna Music
Performed by David Crowder at Winter Jam 2016, Glendale, Arizona)
Photo by CanStock /alexbowmore