The Lost Souls of Honduras

In 2001the United States was heavily involved in addressing a humanitarian crisis.  The potential tragedy was created by a Civil War in the African country of Sudan. Thousands of young boys were displaced or orphaned during that war.  Many of them traveled a great distance across Africa to reach refugee camps. The Christian community responded to the plight of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Lutheran Social Service and Catholic Charities were two of the organizations that took part in ministering to the need. Over 3,800 Sudanese were placed in 38 different cities around the U.S.  Local churches took a key role in the process by sponsoring Sudanese Refugees and helping them become oriented to life in America.

I mention the story of the Lost Boys at this time because we are our country is facing another humanitarian crisis, but in this case I am afraid the welcome mat is not out. I am referring to the throng of refugees who are traveling on foot across Mexico. Most of them are fleeing the hostile political environment and the difficult economic situation in Honduras.   This time instead of organizing a response to minister to their basic needs and ultimately a desire for a better life, the goal is to turn them away.  There is a plan in place to send federal troops to the border to prevent them from entering our country.

It leads me to ask the question: What would Jesus do if he were the one meeting them at the border?  I am confident he would welcome them, make sure they were fed and provided with shelter.  That is the kind of Savior he is.  The Gospels are full of examples of his compassion and mercy for those who are lost.   Since the church is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I would hope our sense of compassion and charity would compel us to treat the Central American refugees much like the Lost boys of Sudan. I am not suggesting an immediate free pass.  Obviously there is a need to interview each adult and vetting process to weed out the troublemakers.  Once cleared for entry the immigrants would then  the matched with a local church  who would take on the responsibility for getting them integrated into our culture. 

I also see a secondary benefit to organizing a welcoming party.  We are not only sending a message to the world that we are a benevolent nation, but we are showing the teens and young adult around us an example of compassion.  A majority of teens and young adults hold a more open perspective when it comes to immigration.  Millennials and members of Generation Z are often more tolerant of those who  come from different cultures and even belief systems.  Perhaps this is an opportunity to work along-side them to solve a humanitarian crisis and be Jesus in a very broken world.

Election 2018: The Taylor Swift Effect?

Taylor Swift created quite a stir a few weeks back when she openly endorsed several Democratic candidates in the mid-term election.  She also encouraged her 112 million social media followers to register to vote so that their voices could be heard as well.  If you are over sixty you might not even be aware of who Taylor Swift is. She is a very popular singer who presents a pretty clean image. Some in the media have labeled her "America's Sweetheart.”  Michelle Obama presented her with a humanitarian award while she was First Lady.  She also noted that her daughters were big fans. Taylor Swift is also a Millennial whose audience is a mix of her peers and members of Generation Z.

While it is hard to measure the exact impact, in the less than 48 hours after Swift's post, Vote.org saw more than 105,000 new voter registrations through its site.  During a typical twenty-four hour period Vote.org sees an average of 14,078 visitors. In actuality, the “Taylor Swift effect” might be the tip of the iceberg.   The Associated Press recently reported that since July there has been an increased interest in this year’s mid-term election among those ages 18-35.   The research showed a remarkable increase in interest from July, 2018 to September, 2018.  In July 41% of those polled said they were interested in the midterm election but that number had swelled to 64% in September.  There also seemed to be increased optimism as the percentage of those who were “hopeful” increased from 40% to 55% in the two month period.  Those who felt “helpless” regarding the midterm election declined slightly from 40% to 36%.

Millennials have an inconsistent track record when it come voting.  They showed up strong in support of Barrack Obama but for the most part they ignored the 2016 Presidential Election. Now we will have to wait until November 6^th to see if they will show up at the ballot box. Either way, there is no denying that they have the potential to change the political direction of our country, and their passions and interest are vastly different than anything we have seen before.  It is only a matter of time till we have our first Millennial President.

What's Driving Today's Teens

I ran on the track team in high school.  I was half miler.  I was not particularly good but I wanted to go out for at least one sport.  Some of my buddies were on the team and two of them also ran the half mile.  I did upset them and the coach my sophomore year.  I quit the team.  There was a more important item on my agenda.  I had just turned sixteen and was eligible to take drivers education after school.  Getting your license was a rite of passage.  I could have waited until school was out and taken drivers education in summer school, but that would have meant delaying my freedom for at least four month. 

All that said, it was still a few months till I could get behind the wheel by myself.  The only driving as part of the class was in a fenced in a parking lot.  All the cars were Plymouth Valiants equipped with automatic transmissions.  Our 1959 Chevy station wagon had a stick shift.  I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons, with my dad beside me, driving around a mall parking lot.  I mastered most of it but my dad insisted that I be able to start the car from a standing stop on a steep grade.  Personally, I think it was delaying tactic but on an August Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 PM (how’s that for a memory) my dad took off of work early so I could take my driving test. I passed the first time.  Funny, I was never asked to start on an incline or parallel parking. I still had to share the car with my dad, and there were also a lot of restrictions.   I had my license and that meant eventual freedom.

Things have changed.  Getting your driver’s license evidently is not as big a deal these days.  The number of high school seniors who have a license to drive has been on a steady decline for over a decade.  In 1975 88% of 12^th grades had their license and 86% of them had driven a car at least once in the previous year.  According to the most recent Monitoring the Future survey, done in 2015, the number of seniors who had their license to drive had dropped to 72%. Surprisingly, the number who reported that had driven a car was slightly higher 74%. 

Those who study teen culture have identified a couple of contributing factors.

Some teens do not want the responsibility that comes with driving.

In a world that puts so much emphasis on security, having your parents drive you around in not that big a deal.  Some kids really enjoy having mom and dad around.

There is also something to be said for the overly structured life many high school students live.  Some don’t have the time needed to learn to drive.

It still seems strange that we have gone from parents saying, “Can’t we put this off for a while,” to “I am tired of being your personal chauffeur. Isn’t it time you got your license?”

Guess Who Believes in New Age Religion

We hear a lot about “New Age” religion.  For definition purposes “New Age” beliefs include but are not limited to believing in reincarnation, psychics, horoscopes or the presence of spiritual energy in physical things like tree or mountains.  Millennials, in particular, have gained a reputation for trying to blend “New Age” beliefs with Christianity.  A new study done by Pew Research produced some shocking insights.  Many adult Christians hold to at least one “New Age” belief. 

According to the survey 62% of all Americans believe at least one “New Age” practice.  Surprisingly, Christians (61%) are just as likely and non-Christians to believe in at least one “New Age” practice.  Evangelicals (47%) are the least likely to hold “New Age” beliefs and Catholics (70%) the most likely.  Surprisingly, members of mainline denominations are more like (67%) than the general population to believe in at least one “New Age” behavior.  What is even more startling to me is that adults age 50-66 (66%) are just as likely as young adults ages 18-29 (65%) to hold to at least one of the “New Age” beliefs.  So much for the theory that Millennials are to blame for watering down the Christian faith.

As a Christian, it is hard for me to comprehend how someone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior would consult the daily horoscope before beginning each day.  Being born in March, I have been told I am a Pisces, but I have never given much thought to what that means.  When faced with a difficult decision I will pray for wisdom and wait for the Holy Spirit to guide me.  I am not much for good luck charms and even feel guilty when reading that slip of paper inside the fortune cookie. 

It is no wonder the teens and young adults are forming their own hybrid version of Christianity.  Many of those who are supposed to be mentoring them are sending mixed messages.  There is no room for astrology, psychics or Ouija Boards in the lives of those who see Jesus as their eternal hope.  

The November Election: Will the Millennials Show Up

We live in a very contentious environment.  Not since the tumultuous sixties have we been so strongly divided.  It is hard to know where to start when identifying the issues that have created the gap between us.  Gay rights, Black Lives Matter and gun control are among the topics that have created the rift.  It also seems as if everyone has an opinion on the current administration.  The Congress is divided along party lines and there is more finger pointing than there is discussion on how to solve the problems.  Like in the Vietnam War era, the divide seems to be generational.  A majority of older American want to “Make America Great Again” while Millennials and members of Generation Z ask “What’s so great about it?” 

Like the Baby Boomers of the sixties, many Millennials hold views that run counter to those of older Americans.  As a voting block they now also outnumber Baby Boomers, but to this point have not always gone to the polls to express those interests.  An article in the September 27, 2018 edition of the Dallas Morning News leads me to believe Millennials might be ready to step-up and go to the ballot box.  The source of the data was a recent survey conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.  According to the survey 64% of those ages 15-34 were interested in the upcoming election.  That is up from 41% in just two months since July, 2018.  Fifty-five percent (55%) were hopeful about the election, up from 40% two month earlier.  The percentage of those who felt helpless about the election has dropped from 40% in July to 36% in September.  In addition, fewer (34%) of those polled felt overwhelmed by the election process, that is down from 43% in June.

If the study is correct, that is a remarkable swing in a short period of time.  In two month time it seems like more young adults are interested in making a difference at the ballot box.  That might also be reflected in the number of Millennials who are anxious about the election, almost half (49%), a big increase from the 36% who expressed anxiety in July.  The real question still remains: will Millennials actually follow through and show up on November 6?

The fact that their interest in the election has grown remarkably in just two months leads me to believe they might be ready to express their opinion at the ballot boxes.  Either way, those of us over 65 need to be ready for the eventual swing in national leadership.  The Millennials have already impacted the world of business, finance and communication.  I strongly believe the polling process is next.   I am confident there will be a big change in the leadership in Washington within the next ten years.