What it means going forward

We write about culture, specifically as it relates to the Christian worldview.  So, in a look back at 2025, we will not look at business or tech trends, which are notable, especially in the explosion of AI.  We look at values shifts in the culture at large.

Woke continues to die

I’ve never been a fan of the zombie movie craze, but it feels like in 2025 we continued to wake up in a world the zombies use to walk around in and govern.  A zombie is someone who is alive but isn’t, is governed by destructive motivations, and you can’t really reason with.  The woke mind virus causes what should be reasonably intelligent people to adopt really crazy ideas, such as reverse racism, violating normal gender biology, and intentionally raising energy prices and threatening energy stability in the name of social ‘justice’ or ‘climate justice’.  As I wrote in my book, the reason these people, who should have known better, allowed this mind virus to infect them was because of the moral and spiritual vacancies in their lives.  These ideas took on a religious significance, and thus transcended rationality.  

The death blow to woke occurred in 2024, culminating in the landslide election of not only Donald Trump, but a republican majority in both houses.  They won, not only on economic issues, but on cultural issues as well.  The trans issue figured in to a lot political ads.  I wrote about this exactly one year ago, where I analyzed the virus more thoroughly.  2025 was a continuation of this trend.  In only very select circles now is it popular to promote DEI.  The public largely has rejected it.  

The culture gap widens

Those who are committed to woke are not going quietly away.  Although now they are a very small minority, they are a loud minority.  The volume has only intensified in the face of seeing this rejection of woke by the much larger majority.   The violent tendencies that resulted in the assassination of Charlie Kirk were praised by this crowd, as is the violence against ICE agents today.  Theirs is a religious cause, needed in the absence of the Christian worldview.  They’ve lost the argument, and violence is all they have.  Their fury reminds us of the Japanese toward the end of World War II, who knew they were defeated but fought even harder, because they were dedicated to emperor worship.    I’m reminded of the theme passage of my book, Modern Paganism, “Why do the heathen rage…”  –  Psalm 2:1 (KJV).  The word “rage” here in the original Hebrew means an agitated crowd.    The current anti-ice demonstrators come to mind.   When you look at the faces of many of them, and hear the vile language, you see real rage.  Their whole sense of meaning is attached to the cause of keeping illegal aliens in the country.  We know that many of them are paid, but the majority probably are not.  These people are able to be influenced into another absurd cause, because their life simply lacks meaning.  Not only does their lack of a Christian worldview cause them to ignore the issue of law and order, it attaches something like a perverse religious significance to this cause, so great is their need for meaning and moral definition.  And so, while their overall numbers are shrinking, their voices are becoming more loud and shrill. 

A spiritual awakening picks up momentum

One of the surprising trends to surface in 2025 was a spiritual awakening among young people, especially young men.  The popularity of Charlie Kirk and his assassination did not necessarily cause this awakening, there were other cultural forces at play.  It did however accelerate it.  Of course, this is a good trend if it continues and there is no evidence to indicate that it will not.  It bodes well for the future of marriage and family and our nation as a whole.  We pray that it continues.   While our media has gotten more foul in many ways, especially with celebrities and even politicians dropping the f-bomb, there was also an uptick in open Christian expression in the media on news programs like Fox News and by many prominent athletes in the NFL (my sport of choice).  Speaking of Fox News, they aired the entirety of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, over 4 hours.  A literal Who’s Who of prominent people spoke, many of them politicians.  The gospel was preached and the scripture was quoted with accuracy.  As someone who has been to many church services, it was one of the best I’ve ever seen.  200,000 people showed up for the live event.  Over 20 million combined online and broadcast views in the US.  Turning Point USA estimates a world viewership of 100 million.  We have never seen anything like it.  

Texas joined 2 other states in passing a law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools. Of course, these have or will be challenged by the courts.  I wrote last July why you should support this, even if you are an unbeliever.  

More dark and more light

As we see the culture gap widen, it represents two twin, parallel trajectories.  Just as I’ve never heard politicians curse publicly as I see now, I’ve also not seen in my lifetime such an open and unapologetic display of faith and devotion to God.  This is a trend spoken of centuries ago by the prophet Isaiah, 

¹  Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.   ² For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. ³  The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. – Isaiah 60:1-3

The darkness will get darker.  The light will get brighter.  The choice will become easier.  It could be the Lord’s mercy that it is this way, even though seeing darkness is distressing.  It is His opportunity for us to prepare ourselves in this life for the next, where each one of us will dwell in either ultimate darkness and suffering, or ultimate light and glory.