Sunday, March 25, 2018

Life in the Gap



We hear a lot about the divisive environment that exists within our country today.  I must admit that sometimes I feel like I am living in the space between those two cultures.  I am a Baby Boomer and fall into the 70+ age group.  I have many friends that age and when I attend a Bible class on Sunday morning I find myself surrounded by folks about the same age.  On the other extreme I am part of the local directors of Christian education cluster.  Most of my fellow DCE’s are either members of Generation X or are Millennials.  My research usually takes me into the world of teens and young adults and in many ways I identify with them and their perspectives. 

Living in the gap between generations provides me an interesting perspective.  I can see the cultural divide from a unique viewpoint.  I also think I can identify with both sides.  Much of the difference when it comes to a generational group can be traced to their experience.  When it comes to the Silent Generation they were greatly impacted by World War II.  Almost everyone was involved in the war effort in some many.  As a result, they are very patriotic and continue to support our country’s military effort.  They also are committed to family and traditional values.  Generation Z (those born since 1999) have some things in common with the Silent Generation.  While they did not experience a war, they have grown up post-911.  That leads them to value security and the close relationships.

Likewise, Baby Boomers (born from 1946-1965) and Millennials (born from 1980-1999) have some things in common.  Both grew up in a time of relative political stability.  They also experienced a major shift in technology.  For Baby Boomers it was television.  For Millennials it was the computer.  In both cases it changed the way we lived and broadened our perspective.  Both television and the computer exposed people to a whole new world.  That world shapes them and who they are. 

For a person who feels like he is living the gap I think I can begin to understand the context that each generation brings.  I have also learned that you cannot compartmentalize people.  There are Baby Boomers who are patriotic and Millennials who value traditional values.  The key to getting along is to learn to respect each other for who we are and to listen to each other.  Only when we seek to understand  each other can we hope to work together to ultimately make a difference.



Friday, March 16, 2018

The Legacy of the Chair



We have a very special rocking chair in our living room.  When my mother moved out of her apartment the chair and a small footstool were the only pieces of furniture that I claimed.  The chair belonged to my great, great grandmother, Bertha Landstra.  She distinguished herself by living to be 105.  To say that she was spry might be an understatement.  Her obituary noted that she was still playing tag in the basement with her great grandchildren when she was in her nineties.  A fall, and bump on the head, put an end to that. 

I still have a picture from when she turned one hundred.  She was featured on the front page of the Detroit News.  There are three of us in the picture, spanning five generations.  I was three years old at the time.   The church was a big part of her life and the celebration was held in the basement of St. Thomas Lutheran Church on the east-side of Detroit.  I have a vague recollection of that party but I have more vivid memories of listening to the Detroit Tiger games with her.  She lived in the back, upstairs bedroom in the family home.  She had lost her sight but she was still able to listen to every game on the radio. 

The presence of that chair in our home opens the door to conversations about my family roots.  The same can be said for the dining room set that came from my wife’s parent’s home in St. Louis.  We also have the piano from that home.  Barb still plays on that same piano.  When we gather as a family, our kids still enjoy congregating around the piano to sing, much like Barb’s family did growing up. 

Mementos can be open doors to tell the stories of our past.  It is the way our family heritage if passed on from generation to generation. 

“Only be careful and watch yourself closely so that you do not forget the 
things that your eyes have seen, or let them slip from your heart as long as 
you live. Teach them to your children and their children after them.”  
(Deuteronomy 4:9)

Our values seem to have shifted and Christianity appears to be in decline.  Perhaps the reason is we have fallen short in our attempts to pass on the heritage of faith.  Fortunately there is still time.  As long as God gives me good health I want to use the time I have to pass on my heritage of faith.  It is not just my children and grandchildren who need to hear the story.  The message of God’s grace and mercy needs to be shared with a lost and fallen world as well. 

Monday, March 5, 2018

Today's Teens More Career Focused


I like to think of myself as an optimist.  Part of that is rooted in my years working with teenagers.  I always wanted to see the positive in kids I was working with.  I looked for potential and tried to help them capitalize on that.  As a high school counselor I looked for the opportunity to give students a second chance.  “What can we do so this does not happen again?” became my favorite question.  That optimistic spirit is probably why I am drawn to Millennials.  I see more positives in them than I do negatives.

I recently read a report on Generation Z that causes me to be even more optimistic about the current group teenagers.  The report came from research done by The Barna Group and published as the book, Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivation Shaping the Next Generation.  The study was produced in partnership with the Atlanta based Impact 360 Institute.

One of the striking differences between Generation Z and Millennials was found in their goals and priorities.  According the study the Primary Mark of Adulthood among Generation Z was financial independence (42%), compared to Millennials (25%).  Among Millennials the top priority was emotional maturity (45%).  Emotional maturity was the Primary Mark of Adulthood among 23% of Generation Z who noted that response.  That about-face was reinforced by goals that members of Generation Z listed as important.  Finish my education (66%), Start a career (66%) and Become financially independent (65%) were the top goals.  The bottom line is Millennials put more emphasis on feeling good about themselves, while education and career were the highest priority for Generation Z.
 
The drive to get an education and start a career, with the goal of financial independence is mostly likely rooted in their experience watching their parents navigate the great recession in 2007 and 2008.  In addition, having grown up post 9/11 they have only known a world where the threat of violence is real.  They sincerely want to change that world and are looking for career choices that will facilitate that.