The eye cannot say to the hand, "I
have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I
have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body
that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the
body we think less honorable we bestow greater honor...
- 1 Corinthians 12:21-23
We live in a world that seeks to divide
us at every turn. From our political affiliations to our preferences
of music and computer
hardware, we are encouraged to lump ourselves into a myriad of
mutually unintelligable sub-cultures. We have become a society that
does not know how to have a real conversation, a culture in which
public discourse has increasingly become a place of symbolic
violence, rather than (com)passionate debate. And in a society as
fundamentally divided as ours, it is a small leap from the world of
soundbites and images to the
concrete expression of that violence.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, it is my
experience that there is a power capable of breaking down the walls
that divide us, bringing true reconciliation. Through the amazing power of Jesus'
self-giving love, I am being healed of the brokenness
of this present age, and gathered into a Body that is greater than
any human divisions.
As a rising Millenial, it was empowering to realize that I was part of a new generation
which had a distinct way of doing things from our Boomer parents and
our Xer mentors. I saw that our differences weren't simply a
rebellion against "the way things are"; rather, we as a generation share a
unique set of experiences and assumptions, a
special perspective that is just as legitimate as those of prior
generations.
Yet, the spirit of division did what it
always does: It took hold of these places of aliveness and difference
and twisted them into something that divides us. Rather than
understanding our generational differences as a source of mutual
empowerment and respect, there are many forces in our society that
have pitted one generation against another. Whether a "Pepsi
Generation" or a "Joshua
Generation," marketers and ideologues work night and day to
make our generational differences grounds for division and hatred
rather than the basis of strength and cooperation. Instead of
recognizing our differences as a gift from God, we have often been lured into a false
narrative of generational competition.
There
is a Spirit that I feel, inviting us into something more
life-giving and true than this twisted vision of the cosmic order.
There is a Life and Power that is grounded in indescribable love, a
Love that lays down his own life for the benefit of his friends
rather than seeking his own narrow pleasure. It is this Truth that
binds us together, breaking down the dividing wall and making one
where there were once many.
7 comments:
What a great opportunity to express my appreciation of and love for older people. That's one of the big reasons I got such a big kick out of University Friends Meeting in Wichita; there was enough silver in the hair to stock a treasury, and enough sense of fulfillment to fill heaven.
My original meeting, Midcoast MM in Maine, was constantly replenished by tides of elders the way some groups have a never-ending stream of young folks keeping them green.
The coast of Maine tends to attract the kind of retirees who have the vitality to survive Maine winters and a generally self-reliant living style. Some of them are Quakers, or decide they want to be. We had a continuous flow of new blood into our meeting -- but new blood that had already lived long into wisdom. At the same time, we had younger families with children -- some year-round and some mostly in summer.
I was in my mid-30s when I arrived there, so a relative whippersnapper. A lot of whatever maturity I have now I learned from hanging out with all these wise heads and playing with children at the same time.
My study partner and I (both in our fifties and not Quakers) were just talking today about how generations use to interact more and differently.... everything from TV -- in OUR day, if you had a TV at all, there was no cable or internet and just barely VCR, so if you watched at all you all watched together. My whole family saw All in the Family and M*A*S*H, e.g., back in the 70s and then TALKED ABOUT IT, while my kids and I NEVER watched a prime time show together to the best of my recollection.
Also, I fear that my synagogue and many others sometimes treat "youth" and "20-somethings" as akin to another species that has to be approached and managed with care. Instead of, as Micah suggests, parts of one whole community.
Part of this divide, I think, is fueled by digital stuff: after all, "'Youth' have those blogs and twits and all that." While us old folks, of course, are simply not capable of connecting that way, right?
It's a real issue, and I'm delighted to see it brought to light and Light.
I have prayed for for years,and preached, this message. So glad you have moved beyond negative assumption and statements into this living way. If your charcterization of your generation is true,then that character is also an answer to a long held prayer related to the church.
Stimulating post.
For this and other matters, how would a focus on emulating the conduct of Jesus and implementing his teachings change our conduct, our values, our cognitions and our spiritual life?
Start with the Sermon on the Mount and continue with a focus on the conduct and teaching of Jesus as set forth elsewhere in the four gospels.
We need to stop stereotyping people, for example, with terms like millenials, generation xers, or baby boomers. Yes, it is true that our generational experiences help shape our personalities, but the effect is minimal compared to our unique personal backgrounds and our biological and genetic make up,etc. We are all unique human beings and should not be judged by our ages. Please approach each person as a unique individual and don't try to pigeon hole people. You may be surprised with what you find!
"The other" Susan has spoken my mind, too.
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