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Culture of Youth
by Major Amy Reardon
A
sixteen–year–old girl sang Canada’s national anthem at the
opening of the winter Olympics. That would have been fine, had
she been one of the country’s most gifted vocalists. But
though the girl’s singing was pleasant, it was far short of
spectacular, and quite out of step with the rest of the
breathtaking show.
I couldn’t help
but feel that the reason this singer was featured had
something to do with her age. More and more, children with
talent are being thrust center stage. Everywhere you look, the
message our society sends is that the young do it better,
whatever “it” might be. In fact, however, the standard for
excellence is sometimes lowered, because these young talents
haven’t had full opportunity to develop their gifts. In
addition, those performers with a few more miles on them, who
have spent many years honing their skills, are sacrificed on
the altar of youth. Their talents are invalid because their
bodies are older; never mind the benefits of education,
experience, etc.
My
eleven-year–old son recently moaned that he will never be a
celebrity because he’s almost twelve and isn’t a star yet. (A
moment of fantasy, I suppose. He doesn’t take acting lessons
or have an agent, or anything of the kind.) He’s also worried
that he may not publish his first book before he is 18. Young
actors, singers, poets and even authors have been paraded
before us with such regularity that even a boy just shy of his
twelfth birthday feels he’s too late. This is a rather sad
commentary on contemporary Western society.
Even in the
Church, we’ve got thoughtless young people, who feel that
persons over the age of forty ought to do the respectable
thing and turn invisible, sometimes flinging I Timothy 4:12 at
us as proof that they have the right to take the helm. (Two
things here strike me as strange: first, that it doesn’t occur
to these young people that their fortieth birthday will come
some day and they will still deem themselves as viable human
beings; second, that they miss the point of I Timothy
4:12.
The verse is not meant for brow–beating older people into
submission. It is meant to admonish young people to behave in
a mature way, despite their age, so that they will earn the
respect of those older than themselves.)
Sometimes one
even encounters middle–aged people who endorse the view that
only the young people in the church have anything to offer.
The only culture we need reach is the culture of youth,
because the rest of us don’t matter any more. Those of us who
have lost the bloom of youth should just subdue ourselves.
The world
worships youthfulness, and the Church, in many arenas, has
followed suit.
I demand a
revolt.
Okay, not
really a revolt. But I do wish the Church would give serious
thought to this subject, and consider the direction it has
been taking.
Christianity
has always been counter-culture. Christ’s Kingdom has longed
been referred to the “upside down kingdom” – those who want to
be great must be servants, the last shall be first, etc.
However, we move in sync with the culture as we give primary
place to youth. Our worship styles and teaching styles, and
often our ministry priorities,
are determined by the tastes of teens and young
adults. We often represent ourselves at various functions,
within and outside the borders of the Church, with those who
are young and hip, overlooking those who may be sage and
knowledgeable. Experience, life’s greatest teacher, has is
being met with disregard. But worse than that, as people meet
middle age, they are often treated as if they are no longer of
relevance to this world. We’ll take their money – sure – but
not their ideas.
I began to
tremble recently when someone referred to a 50-year-old corps
officer as an “older officer.” It only takes one hand for me
to count the years until I reach 50. Frankly, I don’t feel old
or out-of-touch. Years of working with youth in this Army have
kept me apace with trends and developments. There are certain
things that date me, however. I would far rather hold a
newspaper in my hands than read my news online. Though I
certainly have age–mates who prefer the computer screen, my
comfort with paper over screen can be used to identify me with
my generation—that is to say, it is more typical of people my
age than those who are younger. But there are lots of us out
here. There are many other people on the planet who are old
like me—who don’t have their cell phone on their person every
moment of the day, who occasionally still listen to an actual
CD, and who may not even have TiVo. Such persons still need to
be considered in church matters.
Those who don’t download sermons onto iPods still
deserve and need to receive ministry.
I digress. My
real point is that passing the age of 40 doesn’t make a person
less useful. In fact, from a biblical standpoint (and here’s
the good news), people often became more useful as they grew
older! Moses was not young when he led the Israelites out of
Egypt.
Indeed, he had lived fully 80 years by that time! He died at
age 120, so well more than half of his life had been lived
when he began his famous trek. Sarah gave birth to Isaac so
late in life that she found the very notion ludicrous, which
is how he wound up with a name that means “laughter.”
Zechariah and Elizabeth were also quite old when John (the
Baptist) was born.
Of course, one
can easily point to numerous young people in the Bible whom
God used. I need not defend the strength or mental sharpness
of the young. What I seek to defend is the purposefulness of
the less-than-young. I don’t see God giving instruction for
those past their youth to pack it in.
Our culture may tell us that by middle age you are on
your way out, but the Bible always stares down culture and
declares, “I’ve got more for you.”
God is no
respecter of persons, even when it comes to their age. The
Scriptures seem to demonstrate that as long as we are lucid we
are of use to God. (And perhaps even those who have lost
lucidity are of use. Many of us have examples of those whose
minds aren’t properly functioning but are still a great
blessing.)
Acts
2:17
says: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit
on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
As I read this, I am reminded that everyone who has dedicated
himself to God and God’s purposes is functional in the
Kingdom.
I know of a
corps where the bandmaster is in her nineties. She has been
the bandmaster for fifty years or so. I think of all of the
young people who could have learned the skill of conducting
and done their own service as bandmaster, if only they’d been
given a chance. It is just as wrong to greedily hang on to
your rights because of your tenure as it is to be deposed
because of your wrinkles. While aging doesn’t mean you should
be tucked into a corner, it could mean you bring mentoring to
its fruition by letting someone replace you in a current task.
Then you find something else to do. Something new that God has
for you. Let him teach an old(er) dog a new trick.
The occasional
grey hair now appears upon my head. I reminisce often. I have
my own personal history, and I have personal perspective on a
little chunk of world history. And you know what? I like it.
But I don’t want to be put out to pasture yet, nor do I think
that God would appreciate such a thing. And so, I make these
pleas:
I plead with
the young: please don’t treat the rest of us as though we’ve
nothing to offer. Remember, you stand on the shoulders of
those who have come before. And while you may understand that
the bulk of the world’s culture revolves around you, we are
still here. We still have work to do and wisdom to contribute.
I plead with
the middle-aged and older: remember that it is not God’s idea
for us to seek perpetual youth, it is the world’s. Embrace
your age and sagacity, and give to the church community out of
your wealth of experience. Don’t think you’ve earned the
chance to sit back, either. You may need to relinquish one of
your Kingdom tasks to someone new, someone younger. But there
is plenty more for you to do.
I plead with
myself: don’t believe that you’ve missed all your chances. God
has many more tasks in mind. Fight on until you die.
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