The History Behind the 20th Century Jesus People Style
The Jesus Movement
There has never been a moment in American history where the Church was not praying for revival, and such was the case in the 1960’s. But who would have guessed that God would choose to start one of America’s greatest revival periods in the midst of a youth counterculture revolution? Many of the burned-out youth of America who were searching for peace and love found both in Jesus. The word “Marijuana” was replaced in their vocabulary with the word “Maranatha” meaning “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” The Bible was their most prized earthly possession, and they carried it around with them everywhere as they shared the most “far out” good news that nothing else could match.
The two of us, Eric and Margie Haley, experienced that move of God ourselves — Margie in Southern California with the Jesus for Lunch Bunch who met under a tree on the high school campus, and Eric in Indiana with a booming Christian coffeehouse ministry. When we met, we naturally felt God bringing us together and right after we married, se started a singing group.
Here we are (on the right) in our newly-formed Jesus People singing group, “Under the Son.”
Our Jesus People Bible cover design was produced with that fresh move of God, the “Jesus Movement,” in mind. The One Way symbol tooled onto the front was universally understood to express that good news: There’s only one way to Heaven, and it’s through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.