The Quiet Revival Will Not Be Technologized

(with apologies to Gil Scott-Heron)

You will not be able to stay online, brother or sister
Or however you so identify

You will not get to download, influence or troll
You will not be able to chase Youtube rabbit-holes
Or Instagram your latest thoughts
Because the quiet revival will not be technologized

The quiet revival will not be technologized.
It will not be pop-up advertised
It will not be brought to you by Netflix
Streamed and binge-watched in four straight nights after work.

The quiet revival will not show you pictures of Furtick
Blowing his own trumpet or leading a charge against John Piper
John Macarthur or John Who Ever

It will not be dressed in basketball shoes that are retro-sized
The quiet revival will not be franchised or subsidised.
The quiet revival will not be brought to you by
Christian Nationalised or Christian Progressive-ised
It will not be announced at the Dove Awards
And will not star Amy or Lauren or yesterday’s Newsboys

The quiet revival will not give your Threads sass appeal
Or your Tik-Tok mass appeal
The quiet revival will not make you look five pounds phatter
Because the quiet revival will not be technologized

The quiet revival will be scrutinised
But polls will not predict the winner
Christianity Today will refrain
From commenting on Christianity Tomorrow

The quiet revival will not be technologized
Artifical Intelligent-ised or digitised
There will be no Five Ms or Seven Habits
Or 29 whatevers on the instant replay

There will be no Mark Driscoll aggrandising
Or Andy crouching at your door apostasising
There will be no X or Instagramising
No I-R-T online polling about what is so darned relevant

The quiet revival will not be technologized
There will be no highlights reels to scroll

The theme song will not be Bethelised
Getty-ised
Or monetised.

The quiet revival will not be technologized
The quiet revival will not be supersized, non-glutenised
or come with fries

The quiet revival may be coming to a town near you
The quiet revival may not be coming to a town near you
The quiet revival may not be playing to packed audiences
The quiet revival may not be back by popular demand

The quiet revival will be seed-of-mustard-sized
Cloud that is man’s-fist-sized
Treasure-hidden-in-field surprised

The quiet revival will baptise
Humble-ise and glorify
The quiet revival will biblicise
Exorcise
Gospelise and crucify

The quiet revival will be life.