If spreading the gospel was as easy as ’67’

When the top-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team faced the University of Indianapolis last week, Purdue Pete sat below The Paint Crew, fidgeting. Waiting for the team in gold and black to score, the Boilermaker mascot held a posterboard featuring the number ‘67.’ The score was 37-65, Purdue. 

Oblivious to the excitement forming in the crowd, Antione West Jr. saw an opening and went for the three. Fans have never experienced greater disappointment when their home team shot and made a three-pointer than they did that night.

Nevertheless, Boiler spectators bonded over the hilarious cultural moment lost on their freshman shooting guard. Even my boomer parents, who were in attendance, eagerly anticipated the shot. Smartphones in hand, they were ready to capture the moment that never came to be.

Though it’s been a slang term for nearly a year, the number with no meaning isn’t going away quickly. In fact, the phrase featured in countless internet memes is still gaining traction. Just last week, dictionary.com named ‘67’ its official “Word of the Year,” an honor reserved for words that define a year through cultural significance.  

Is ‘67’ meaningless?

Almost as pervasive as Gen Alpha’s usage of ‘67’ and its accompanying up-and-down hand motion is the debate among older generations about the meaninglessness of the viral phenomenon. People wonder, Does it mean anything at all?

A quick research of ‘67’’s origin points to an explicit rap song: “Doot Doot (6 7)” by rapper Skrilla. If you dig much deeper than that, most conclude that the number means absolutely nothing. It’s likely just another example of brain-rot—a case of algorithm-fed nonsense teens find funny.

If you wanted to take a spiritual deep-dive into biblical numerology and the significance of numbers to God, you could attempt to make meaning out of the pairing of ‘67.’ Even so, the mystery of the number seems to add to its popularity.

Regardless of whether ‘67’ carries any deeper—or at least intended—meaning, the way society has latched onto it is not surprising. When the world is falling apart around us—when violence and wars between nations crowd the headlines, civil wars catch innocent bystanders in the crossfire, and pervasive division wreaks havoc—the humanity in us clings to that which brings us together. I’m amazed when I witness two teens living in different parts of the country sharing the same Gen Alpha slang. 

‘67’ is viral for a reason

What the Eras Tour was to 2024, ‘67’ is to 2025. It’s hard not to be drawn to something that so many people agree on. So, even though the number may lack meaning, the fact that everyone has latched onto it does not. Commonality brings camaraderie, and shared language and experience lift morale. 

Here are some ways ‘67’ has pervaded our everyday lives:

• The hashtag for ‘67’ has over one million total posts on Instagram. On TikTok, there are over two million posts in the last two months alone.

• Math teachers can hardly teach when they have to tell their students to turn to page 67. If the answer to a problem involves the two numbers in succession, classrooms erupt with students repeating “six-seeeven.” It seems most teachers react in good humor.

• When my daughter’s cross country team cools down after practice, they emphasize “six-seeeven” while counting out stretches—the coach included. He embraces the fun it brings to the team.

• People looking for couples’ Halloween costumes had it easy this year. All they needed was a few pieces of duct tape to form the numbers on their t-shirts. It was common to see at least one set of people dressed up as ‘67’ in neighborhoods this year.

What ‘67’ teaches us about this generation

Knowing that a meaningless phrase like ‘67’ can spread so universally brings encouragement. If it can spread so universally across a nation—and include a wide demographic across racial, gender, and generational lines—what does it say about the possibility of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ?

The message that changed eternity and gives life to all humankind—should each individual choose to believe it—can (and is) continuing to spread, far and wide, also.

First, the age we live in has given us access to technology and tools that make it easy for us to communicate with one another. New forms of information technology enable us to maintain connections with more people than ever before—even perfect strangers. As the dictionary pointed out, “’67’ shows the speed at which a new word can rocket around the world as a rising generation enters the global conversation.”

We can also stay in touch with loved ones we might not otherwise. Our fellow humans, no matter how many miles separate us physically, are only a phone call, text, video chat, or social media comment away. We can communicate with family, friends, and colleagues on the other side of the earth in real time.

With it can come meaningful conversations that carry life-changing significance. 

And as for news, headlines spread as fast as the wireless connection allows. 

So, although screens threaten to distract us from the most important things in life, the unique technological tools available to this generation are also aiding in the spread of the gospel. 

For example, the Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) mobile app and website everystudent.com is visited by over 100,000 people daily, reaching millions of people each year searching for answers about God and faith.

YouVersion’s Bible app is available in over 3,000 versions in 2,369 languages. Founding pastor of Life.Church, Craig Groeschel, reported four years ago that the app containing God’s Word had reached half a billion downloads. He now projects it will be on a billion devices very soon. 

Spreading the gospel is not as easy as ‘67’

Spreading the gospel has the power to transform lives for eternity, but it comes at a cost. Open Doors reports that “More than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.” In Mozambique, militant groups are beheading Christians by the dozens.

Even if you live in an area of the world not currently characterized by widespread persecution, the fear of man often stands in the way of our fear of God. We fear that our message will offend—to some it will. The Bible forewarns that when we bring the Good News, to some we will be an aroma and to others a stench.  

Our post-Christian American culture has made it increasingly taboo to talk about matters of faith; postmodernism has deemed the concept of absolute truth reprehensible. We often feel awkward bringing up our belief in Jesus. And we may sacrifice our reputation, if not more, for doing so. 

So what do we do with this?

People are persecuted and ostracized for their faith around the world. Yet, there is hope. When the going gets tough—when we realize that following God is not for the faint-hearted—God goes before us and promises to be with us. Many argue that being in God’s will is the safest place we can be spiritually.

God even prepares the hearts of those he calls by his Spirit. We don’t do the saving—Jesus does. We sow and God brings the harvest. We are called to pray for the lost and to share him with those around us; God handles the inner work of transforming a soul.

Even now, some pastors are looking forward to the billion believers, referring to the anticipated outcome of a global spiritual revival that many report is underway. Revival includes a reawakening of believers’ passion for following God. As a result, droves of new believers are being born into the family of God. There are signs of a pending revival even here in America.

So, when we are tempted to back away from our call to share the Good News, the Bible reminds us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). When we feel the tension of sharing Jesus with a world unfamiliar with him, we can be encouraged: resilience, resolve, and a deeper trust in God come from leaning into the challenge.

The world is waiting to hear.

As Romans 10 concludes,

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Quote of the Day:

“Lest I forget Gethsemane,

Lest I forget Thine agony;

Lest I forget Thy love for me,

Lead me to Calvary.”

–Jennie Evelyn