OPINION:
There is no shortage of negative news about America’s young people, the supposedly dilapidated state of faith in the U.S., moral depravity, and our ever-chaotic mental health trends.
It routinely feels like culture is an irredeemable disaster — an amalgam of insanity slowly lurking toward the end of a proverbial plank into a sea of nothingness.
Yet some stories periodically break through the bedlam to remind us of key realities: All hope isn’t lost, God is still very much at work, and the story is nowhere near over.
One such reality check surrounds Lydia Owens, a recent graduate of Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina. Miss Owens isn’t just any graduate. She achieved the honor of valedictorian and, as is custom, delivered an address to her fellow students that immediately went viral.
See, Miss Owens could have opted to discuss any topic, offering benign advice, personal anecdotes or other tidbits to her fellow graduates. Instead, she paused, reflected and did something genuinely notable: She shared her Christian faith and encouraged the audience to find true value where it matters most.
At a time when young people appear more secular than ever and when faith — once a cultural mainstay offering social capital — has become increasingly denigrated, Miss Owens stepped out of her comfort zone, opened her heart, got personal and delivered an antidote to lostness.
SEE ALSO: Prayer, revival and ‘Jesus Revolution’: Is our rotting culture on verge of something big?
The valedictorian spoke for three minutes to her peers about the perils of performance obsession and placing identity in one’s accomplishments before pivoting to faith and the essentiality of establishing a vertical rather than horizontal worldview.
“Placing your identity in the things of this world will disappoint you, because they are only temporary,” Miss Owens boldly proclaimed before getting personal about how she came to learn this valuable lesson. “I had that reality check almost two years ago when my mom passed away.”
In the middle of this terrible loss, the graduate said she couldn’t find hope or help in her accomplishments, grades or accolades.
While culture tells people to turn inward and focus on the material, this brave young woman said she realized that the only source from which she would find the healing she needed was in her faith and relationship with the Lord.
“When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person that I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus,” Miss Owens said to thunderous applause. “My perspective of success drastically changed, because I realized that the many years I spent placing my worth in my academics meant absolutely nothing in light of eternity.”
And Miss Owens wasn’t done yet, as she went on to tell the audience their worth could be found not in culture’s whims, not inside their own hearts and minds — but “in Jesus,” the only person who “will ever satisfy us.”
She reminded her peers they are “made in the image of God,” speaking a genuine and essential message to a beleaguered culture.
It should come as no surprise that Miss Owens’ speech has gone viral and inspired many in recent days. Watching an exhausted culture react so monumentally to such a simple and timeless message is fascinating.
Beyond that, she is evidence of the passion and love many still have for the Lord. It’s not easy to stand on a stage, get vulnerable about a personal loss, and point people to the Almighty — especially young people.
With the day’s mantra so focused on looking inward, Miss Owens’ decision to break through that stronghold to deliver a message every human so desperately needs is undoubtedly praiseworthy.
It’s also a gut check for us all to ponder whether we’re doing enough to speak such truth to our spheres of influence and the broader culture — if we’re as bold and motivated as this recent high school graduate to let others know how easy it is to end up on the wrong path and how true peace can be found only in God.
As the headlines continue to expose the horrors and pain of a sin-plagued world, I’m grateful Miss Owens and others like her remind us of our hope in God and the truth that can — and will — shatter culture’s lies.
With stunning “revival” moments and spiritual resurgences breaking out around the country this year, the forces of chaos are being matched with courageous voices of truth.
And Lydia Owens is just the latest example. Bravo, Miss Owens.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” He is the author of four books.
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