The March for Jesus movement started in London in 1987. The first event attracted 15,000 participants and quickly circulated all over Europe. It became a worldwide celebration with 12 million people across 170 countries by 1994. One of the largest events happened in São Paulo, where 3 million people gathered to celebrate Jesus in 2019.

Several Christian denominations joined to celebrate Jesus and share their devotion in Dublin. Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, the Catholic Bishop of Waterford was one of the main promoters. He said the march would “show and shine the light of Jesus Christ” and that Christians would stride to Dáil Éireann, where “so many very sad decisions have been taken over the last few years – decisions which are not according to the mind of God.”

The fact that Catholics and Protestants joined in union shed a light of hope for a divided country, which had been under political pressure for a long time. 

The event organisers referred to the march as a “historic walk of faith” and “a moment to be remembered in Dublin and beyond”. Participants held up banners and signs which read ‘Jesus is our King’ and ‘Jesus changes everything’.

Pastor John Ahern from All Nations Church Dublin shared his excitement to see the “unprecedented” number of people joining to celebrate Jesus: “I think it’s also an indication of the hunger that exists in our generation for reality, for God, for something beyond this superficial, ‘woke’ culture that’s been rammed down everyone’s throats through so many arenas. There’s no substance, meaning, or happiness to be found in those ideologies or ideas, and I think many of them have actually reached their legitimate end. I truly believe we’re going to see a turning back to God, to truth, and to objective reality. I also believe we’re in the early days of revival and awakening, because, as Jesus said, ‘Man does not live by bread alone’.”

In regards to the political strain between the primarily Catholic Republic of Ireland and the Protestant Northern Ireland, Pastor Ahern is hopeful: “I think people truly want to move on from that, and I’ve certainly seen a lot of healing between North and South and, more broadly, between Great Britain and Ireland. At the end of the day, we’re closest neighbours, with a shared history, whether we like it or not. Not all of it may be good, but a lot of it is. I think we need to look at things more redemptively and recognise, as I said, that there’s more that unites us than divides us. I believe the church can play a prophetic role in shining a light and leading the way. That’s also my hope with the March for Jesus.”

Source: https://premierchristian.news