Bridging the Generational Gap

I was reading an article today that was discussing the significance of the so-called 'generational gap' that exists between grandparents and their children. One of the main points of the article focused on the cultural lines that are drawn between the generations. The author of the article stated that there seems to be three distinct phases to ones life: Youth or educational activities, Mid-Life or family rearing and career activities and then Retirement or relaxational activities. I began to think about this gap and how obvious it has become to see in our post-modern era. With such separation taking place it leaves little to the imagination as to why we are in the dire-straits we are in.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come unto me; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The older rabbis in the temple were amazed at the knowledge and understanding of a youthful Jesus. The little ones loved to nestle with Jesus. Every custom or worldview on the planet that you or I may encounter has a special esteem for the youth and the elderly of the society. We seem to be losing both in post-modern America. The elderly look at the colored hair of the youth and cringe with disdain. The youth look at the elderly and scoff at what they may learn from an aged and experienced life. The mid-lifers look upon the youth as a lost generation and upon the elderly as an uneducated by-product of times gone by. Can we survive as a people with this onslaught of the basics of relationships in our lives?

The elder does not realize that it was his disdain for those in positions of authority that taught is mid-lifer son to disdain his authority as an elder; further, little does the mid-lifer realize that his willingness to join the mass-think of our society and put abstract thought on the shelf is what brought about the post-modern mind-set in his son or daughter. The youthful generation with its lack of ability to think abstractly does not realize the danger it has placed itself in nor can it realize the danger without the ability to think abstractly. The problem lies in the loss of the ability to think abstractly.

Deuteronomy 32:29 says this, " If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!" 2 Chronicles 2:12 states, "And Hiram added: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the LORD and a palace for himself." Psalm 1:2 puts it this way, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." These verses require three things. First we must read the word of God. How can we do the other two, which are: meditate and discern, unless we have read. When we read, we must always be discerning what it is that God is trying to say to us and we must meditate on that voice of God night and day.

When we are in tune with God all other relationships come into their own. "What is it that my grandchild is trying to tell me?" "What is it that my child is trying to tell me?" "How do I talk to my parents so that they best understand me and my hurts, fears, worries, etc?" This goes directly to the selflessness that Jesus taught in his own ministry.