Would We Dare Consider?
I wonder if evangelical Baby Boomers would dare be open enough to the Holy Spirit to consider a few things?
Did they unintentionally place more emphasis on OT edicts, rules and the letter of the law than grace, forgiveness and unconditional love? Did their children hear more the harsh voice of righteous indignation than they did a loving and compassionate call to a culture in need of repentance? Did they, in their zeal for righteousness, teach their children that they had to “do more” in order to be good rather than “rest more” in order to know they’re accepted and approved by God?
Were there times that abuse of authority and legalism trumped benevolent care and an ear to listen? And did parents tend to punish more by giving their evangelical offspring “no straw to make [their] bricks” when they felt them to be disobedient?
Have the compelling and truly life-changing aspects of evangelical faith become largely absent from today’s evangelical church? Is God brushing off and refurbishing an old message through a new generation of messengers? These questions can be enormously constructive in both being able to reconnect with a religiously wounded son or daughter, as well as learning from what today’s young evangelical voices have to say.
President Ronald Reagan said, “Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation.” So perhaps as Joshua stood on Moses’ shoulders and Timothy stood on the Apostle Paul’s, maybe it’s time for the old shoulder switch to happen again? I mean, come on, it’s not as if God’s blinked and made a mistake here!
Maybe Simon and Garfunkel had something in their classic song “Slip Sliding Away”:
“Slip sliding away, slip sliding away. You know the nearer your destination, the more you’re slip sliding away.”
As the English writer, G.K. Chesterton, put it, “Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.” We should rest in knowing that our God has us securely on a trajectory that’s getting us nearer to our destination, though it may appear to some that we’re moving away from it.
One generation’s voice must eventually fall back before the next generation can assume its voice and place. God has done a pretty good job of getting His message of Good News heard throughout the centuries. Could these fresh, youthful voices be new message bearers of the gospel to their generation of skeptics? Don’t be surprised!
