I get it - if the goal is happiness on this earth, yeah, go do your thing. Francis Chan: I would agree with that person if there was no such thing as a Judgment Day.
What would you say to someone unsure whether Jesus is worth following today, compared with all the immediate gratification around them? Jacob Hess: More people seem to be walking away from faith these days. (An unabridged version is available at Public Square Magazine.) This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Chan spoke to me from his home in Fremont, California. With his ability to translate Christian insights for a broad audience, he’s been able to encourage people beyond the traditional confines of faith boundaries. Chan’s words have uplifted evangelicals for years. In 2019, he felt called to relocate to Hong Kong, where his family stayed until their visas were denied. They felt prompted in 2010 to leave their 6,000-member Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, and move to San Francisco to begin a new ministry. Although they hadn’t taken a salary for years, he and his wife, Lisa, decided to downsize their home. Chan donated book royalties to organizations fighting sex trafficking, but felt a conviction he needed to sacrifice more. Chan has become one of America’s most beloved evangelical pastors, with his 2013 book, “ Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God,” selling 2 million copies around the world. But he didn’t give up on life or his faith. Francis Chan had many of the classic risk factors to become a “troubled teen.” His mother died at childbirth and his father died when he was 12.
Francis Chan is part of an ongoing Deseret News series exploring ideas and issues at the intersection of faith and thought. Editor’s note: This interview between Jacob Hess and the Rev.
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