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Thoughts on Generalizations of the Millennial Generation

One of the most interesting articles I read last weekend was “When we talk about Millennials, We’re Usually Talking about White People” by Chris Martin. In it he gives a very timely warning about making blanket statements about young adults of the millennial generation while really talking about one part of the group.

When we make rather off-the-cuff remarks like, “Millennials are liberal,” or “Millennials love adventure,” or “Millennials are spoiled brats,” we usually only have one subgroup of Millennials in mind: Upper-middle class, white millennials.

Martin does a very good job of pointing out there are millennials (especially those of other ethnicities) that don’t fit our view of what they are like.

You say, “Millennials love adventure,” because you see a bunch of white 20-something girls posting pictures on Instagram of their latest expedition into the woods behind their suburban home—You forget that the Latina sisters in Los Angeles caring for their little siblings while their parents work are Millennials, too, whose “adventure” is collecting laundry while feeding babies, not collecting pinecones while sipping on a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

You write something like, “Millennials are moochers who live with their parents,” because you hear stories about your college friends living at home, playing video games all day, and not getting a “real job.” But you don’t think about the 25-year-old African American brothers in Harlem working three jobs to care for their aging parents, who actually depend on them rather than the other way a round.

As an illustration of the danger here he refers to an article written in 2013 by a prominent Protestant blogger bemoaning the fact that millennials no longer come to Church…however what she meant was white, middle-class millennials weren’t coming to Church.

The numbers for black Millennials [in the church] are, in fact, not dropping. That is, black adults age 18-29 are not leaving the Church. The 2007 report shows that black Millennials makeup 24 percent of Historically Black Churches , the same percentage as their Boomer Generation parents. Religious affiliation for young black adults going to historically black churches remains stable. If you look at trends between the 2007 and 2012 surveys, there’s not much difference in the numbers for black Millennials.

Mrs. Evans writes Millennials are leaving the church. Mr. Calvin writes, “Not among African Americans they’re not,” showing that no matter what the statistics say, every generalization merits a qualification or caveat.

Chris Martin ends with some advice on how to clarify we are referring to a subset (very small part) of the millennial generation

This is all I’m saying: when you want to make a generalization about Millennials, or any other generation, make sure you’re clear it is a generalization.

For instance, when you see a stat like this: “53% of Millennials say they lead the kind of life they want,” which is true, according to Pew, you do not write, “Millennials lead the kind of life they want.” That is not true, because only 53% of Millennials, barely half, do.

Instead, you write, “Just over half of Millennials lead the kind of life they want,” or even, “Most Millennials lead the kind of life they want,” if you insist.

For me personally this article was a challenge to look past my own subset of people, and understand that they don’t represent everyone. And maybe, just maybe, things aren’t as dark as they seem for the millennials.

Tested Faith: A Study of James

James 2:4-The Year Not Everybody Gets a Valentine

James 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? (emphasis added)

There are certain things I do miss about high-school, but being there on valentines day definitely isn’t one of them.

Now please understand my issue isn’t with valentines day itself. I happen to be a single man in his late-thirties but there is no bitterness in my heart about the holiday…it’s high-school turning it into a popularity contest that bothered me.

From kindergarten to second or third grade the general rule was you give valentines to everyone in the classroom (extra points if you included those candy hearts). As students neared jr-high age though they began reserving valentines for those who they thought deserved it. Of course you had a valentine reserved for that “special friend” but it wasn’t uncommon to give notes, chocolate, or other cool stuff to friends.

In a way that first year where not everybody got a valentine was the beginning of a very big change. No longer would everyone get things (yearbook signing, party invitation, sit with you at lunch, ect) but only people viewed as “cool”

Now the good news is there are different ideas about what it means to be cool, so no matter who you are, your guaranteed to be viewed as cool by a group of people. The bad news is everybody knows the basic qualifications to being cool (good looking, athletic, smart, popular, outgoing) and anyone who doesn’t fit those shouldn’t expect a pile of valentines on his or her desk.

And the worst news? That popularity contest view of life doesn’t end with high-school.

My biggest issue with the high-school popularity contest is that it makes each person a judge-or someone who decides what other people get. And they have a mental checklist to decide what people deserve.

Can this person do something to help me?
Is this someone who will make me look good?
Will people make fun of me if I hang out with them?
What things do they need from me?
Are they good looking, athletic, smart?

What happens if this individual doesn’t get enough checks on our mental list? Sorry but you don’t deserve my respect and friendship.

Thankfully life isn’t a popularity contest, and often those who don’t look or act cool exhibit more talent and ability than those who we judge worthy.

But that doesn’t keep us from making it into one…and making sure we decide who gets a valentine.

From the Blog

The Power of Saying Good Morning

Hi, my name is John, and I am an introverted missionary

There I said it

Believe it or not, God calls many people with introverted personalities to share the Gospel in foreign cultures, and they win souls to Christ while planting Bible preaching Churches. It may not be a easy for them as an extroverted individual but the Gospel reaches beyond our weaknesses.

I’m sort of a mix between an extrovert and introvert. I won’t take the first step in a relationship many times (introducing myself) but once we are friends become very outgoing. People have it explained it by saying “when we first met you wouldn’t talk, and from that point on you didn’t shut up” 🙂

Obviously this can lead to some challenges with missions because much of it has to do with relationship development….but experiences on the mission field has taught me God will bring opportunities for Gospel bridges if I am faithful in connecting with others.

Since visiting Barrouaille for two-weeks in August it’s been a habit of mine to walk around town at 11:00 every morning after finishing sermon preparation. A goal is to pray, but the primary one is to learn where things are in town, and meet people.

This meant making eye contact with everyone and saying “good morning” whether they responded to me or not. For the first two-weeks this would be followed by an explanation as two why I was there since seeing a white-man in town was sort of a shock for them.

After returning last month those morning walks slowly became opportunities to greet one another by name, and recently we started having small talk about the weather (a HUGE achievement).

To be honest after being in Barrouaille about eight weeks total I expected to be past small talk relationships, but the truth is friendships aren’t developed overnight.

This morning I was walking by a shop when a man named Mack stopped to ask how the missionary I’m filling in for was doing. He happens to be a man who believes in many things (mostly Catholicism) and I had asked Mack to pray for the missionary last week if he was a “praying man.”

We talked about the missionary for a few minutes but ended up having about a forty-five minute discussion about sin, heaven and hell, what Adam and Eve did wrong in the garden, baptism, and salvation.

Mack and I don’t agree on these subjects (the fact that he uses the Koran and encyclopedia as a source instead of Scripture doesn’t help) but this first of hopefully man conversations was a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel.

The thing is that relationship with Mack wasn’t created overnight…it took over a month to build. But being able to spend almost an hour answering his questions about God made all of that time worth it.

More than once while walking through town in the morning I asked God in frustration “Lord why don’t I see you working?” Honestly there must be something better for me to do with my time than say good morning to people and talk about the weather! But today it all started to make sense.

Each greeting is another brick for that gospel bridge I’m building into that persons life for God’s glory. And someday if I am faithful we will move past small talk about the rain, and discuss their need of Christ.

As someone who knows what it’s like to prefer a place in the corner and a good book instead of being with people let me assure you that being introverted is no excuse for not sharing Christ.

So make eye contact

And say good morning (don’t forget to smile)

Learn the persons name, and master the art of small talk

Then wait for God to open the door.

Tested Faith: A Study of James

James 2:3-The Naughty Chair, and a Place of Dishonor

James 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

James in this chapter continues the idea of a religion that cares for those who cannot defend themselves (orphans and widows) in 1:27 by confronting the sin of partiality. This means we make decisions about people based upon their outer looks or what they can give us (James 2:2) which contradicts the Gospel that gives to us what we don’t deserve (James 2:1).

To illustrate his point James tells the story (which may have actually happened) of a rich and poor man who visited Church. Yesterday I touched on the sinful act of making decisions about a person based on their outer appearance, but the sin is greater in chapter two verse three where Believers acted on these perceptions of people.

The rich man in this story is given a place of great honor (probably place at head of the table) and the poor are instructed to either stand in the corner (far away from a place of honor at the table) or sit on the floor showing great dishonor.

Reading this verse in a way reminds me of the naughty chair. Now those of you who have experience working with children know exactly what I’m talking about, but for those who don’t this is a chair that you place strategically in the back of room, away from any other child (and the fun). It’s reserved for the boy or girl who won’t listen or obey and after warnings are told to sit in the naughty chair.

I have seen rooms full of children go from chaos to well-behaved because a teacher put a chair in the back of the room. I’ve seen a disobedient student cling to their chair and BEG not to be sent to the back. And I’ve seen them break out in tears and promise to be good if Mr. John gave them one more chance…just don’t put them in the naughty chair!

This chair is actually a strong form of punishment (which is why children get warnings first) but instead of physical it happens to be emotional, and sometimes even psychological. Kids don’t want to be in the naughty chair because it separates them from the fun, but in a deeper sense it’s the humiliation they dread more.

That slow walk to the back while everyone stares at you
Those looks they give you during class
The fact that EVERYONE knows EXACTLY why you are there (disobeying)
And anyone who walked into that room without knowing anything that went on would immediately realize that child in the back hadn’t been obeying

In other words the naughty chair is a place of great dishonor

Because of this it’s very important for me and other teachers to make sure someone deserves to sit in the naughty chair before sending them to the back of the room. And we have instituted a three warning system.

Because a child who doesn’t listen to the first warning may not be paying attention
The child who doesn’t listen to the second may be sitting friends who are being silly
The child who receives a third (and final) warning may enjoy making everyone else laugh a little too much
But only a child whose truly disobedient will ignore all three

Now lets apply this to James 2:3 shall we?

While there definitely wasn’t a naughty chair in the Jewish culture or early church, there was a place for those who deserved the least honor. According to James the Church in this situation told the poor man to immediately take the place of least honor (sit in the corner or on the floor) without even bothering to find out what kind of person they are.

This would be like my saying to a child who wore a ripped t-shirt, that’s it! Go to the naughty chair right now because we all know your going to be trouble!

This is about more about humiliation though since James later in this chapter says God gives greater honor to the poor (James 2:4-5) because of what’s in THEIR HEART. So in the eyes of God, a place of honor is reserved for those who have true character, and the place of dishonor for those who have none.

Truthfully the whole world is filled with naughty chairs (places of dishonor) and most of them are occupied by people we don’t think deserve honor (more on that tomorrow). But if we look past the outer exterior or things that they don’t have and start focusing on their heart, we will realize these are people who definitely deserve a place at the table.

From the Blog

The God Who Gives More Than You Expect

A few weeks ago I met with the principal of a large elementary school that’s less than a five-minute walk from my house about volunteering there. My end goal was to start a ministry teaching Bible to children, but knew at this point relationship development is the most important thing, so agreed to help two days a week with a second-grade class.

After not hearing anything since then I decided to visit her this morning and see if there was something else that needed to be done on my end. The principal informed me that she was actually a temporary replacement (teacher also doing administrative duties) and they were currently looking for a new full-time one. Till this was completed, they wouldn’t be able to take on any volunteers since new ones would normally work along with a teacher.

While this was bad news, she followed it up with some pretty awesome news

The school wanted me to start a Bible club during lunch break

All children in Barrouaille schools are given a one-hour lunch break in the afternoon. A lot of them end up going home to eat their lunch, but some stay at the school with packed lunches, and there is no real program for them. The school wants me to teach Bible stories during that time which will not only be educational (and spiritually challenging) but help keep the students under control.

Of course this is a huge praise since a Bible teaching ministry is what I wanted in the first place….but now the Lord has given me both an opportunity to do this every day, and help in classes two days a week!

Oh but wait…it gets better

This morning I visited with a Church member who had applied for a teaching job at the nearby High-School to see if he had been accepted. Unfortunately he hadn’t, but the people there knew of a school in Barrouaille that needed new teachers.

Guess where they sent him?

That’s right..to the school where I will begin my Bible teaching ministry! And he starts tomorrow!

Now this may not change anything, but during my prayer walk this morning it occurred to me maybe having a new teacher there would free up some of the current ones to help me with my ministry, or possibly allow the temporary principal to focus more of her time on administration (she teaches and is temporary principal at the same time). Wouldn’t it just be like God to provide a good friend of mine a job so that I can start teaching the Bible at school?

No matter what happens with the school ministry, this morning was a good reminder that God is Gracious, and also extremely generous. Often we come to Him asking for a small thing (helping in a class) and He responds by giving us something much better than we had requested.

This is also convicting for me because those times that I ask God for something small comes from a faith that is incredibly small. It makes me wonder how many times the Lord wants to pour glorious blessings into my life but I only ask or a small thing.

Thank you Lord for this reminder that you know what’s on my heart. And if I am faithful, you will always give more than expected.