Council Grove Christian Church

Servants of God,

“Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.”
Proverbs 29:8

There is something tragically wrong with a society that holds as its highest aspiration to grow old in wealth, ease, and comfort. To many Americans, this represents their life’s goal. America is a land that God has favored. It really is true that “God shed his grace on thee.” Many do not recognize their blessings as God’s grace, but that does not change the facts. Baby Boomers (Americans born from 1946-64) have lived in a bubble of blessing their entire lives. The World War II generation grew up in a time of austerity and financial restraint. When the post-war generation (my generation) came along it did not take long for us to get fat, dumb and happy because the adults in our lives were determined to give us a “better life” than the one they had.

Boomers soon sprouted into the “if it feels good, do it” generation. Of course, not every Boomer fit that mold, but enough did to set significant trends. Many Boomers spent too much time, energy and money on the Beatles and beer (drugs, too). Soon the persona of the generation was that of those who are pampered, brash and unwilling to conform to the norms of the previous generation. Instead of rushing off to war in a fit of patriotism, many boomers hit the streets to protest, burned draft cards and even ran off to Canada to avoid going to Viet Nam. College was now not just a time for preparation for a life of work, but a time to have a good time and to openly rebel against the previous generation. Party transitioned from a noun to a verb. It became suave to protest and complain about the inequities of the society that had afforded them the leisure and discretionary time to be hyper-critical. Then the boomers started having babies.

The children (generation “X”) and now (some) grandchildren of the boomers (Millennials) are working their way into adulthood. Many of them do not like church, family or being told what to do. They often feel entitled to the lifestyle and financial security that they notice older people have (70% of disposable income in the U.S. is controlled by Boomers). They certainly do not like to think that they might be headed to a future that is more austere than the previous generations. The sad fact is, however, that many of them do not have the work ethic or the marital stability that it almost always takes to accrue significant wealth. And a lot of them are just flat angry, but behind them is a generation that makes them look tame. The children of Generation “Z” as they are known are dangerously ill-prepared for adult life.

When you look at the riots in Portland, Seattle, etc. pay special attention to what the rioters look like. There are a disproportionate number of skinny, pasty-white males and incredibly angry white women. Many of these folks are college graduates with degrees that are close to worthless and along with those degrees often comes a boatload of student loan debt. They are strident, vulgar in their language and willing to spout the mantras of socialism. They are particularly certain that “white privilege” is the sin of all sins and they are convinced that they are virtuous when they disrespect the police and destroy property (often businesses owned by hard-working and frugal immigrants who happen to be black and brown in skin tone).   

Who are these people who revel in chanting slogans and throwing bricks through courthouse windows? Answer: they are the fruit of the new national religion—secularism. For years, the political leftists and the media types along with the Marxists of the academy have been repeating slogans. Now, there is a generation who genuinely believe those lies. They are true believers and they practice their new religion with the zeal of the new convert. Never mind that the socialism they long for is a demonic pipe dream. Never mind that the racial crimes they charge America with are largely false narratives used to foment social unrest and political chaos. They are true believers and they are acting on their beliefs. They do not bother to read statistics about police encounters with people who are breaking the law or about crime rates in various segments of the population. They have not been taught to do genuine research or to think critically. They do not realize that feeling indignant does not necessarily mean you are right.

Strangely, many of these young Americans claim to have once been Christians who have now forsaken the faith. They may have gone to church some, but their Christian upbringing can hardly be called doctrinally sound. They do not see themselves as sinners in need of salvation. They see themselves as above all that Bible-induced silliness. They gain their virtue by condemning the culture around them.  They are skilled at using Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality to assess all the inequities of life.  For them, virtue is found in acts like pulling down the statues of confederate soldiers. This is a generation of people who live together before marriage (if they ever bother with marriage) and wonder why their relationships are rocky. The men tend to be feckless and the women trend toward aggressive.

 These folks are the fruit of the Boomer rush toward ease and comfort. It takes time and energy and prayer and discipline to bring up children. The American school system, long under the spell of socialism, has indoctrinated them to believe that everyone deserves a trophy and an “A.” Parents have pampered them and coddled them each step of the way. And now they stand in their skinny black jeans with a Molotov cocktail in one hand and a copy of “Das Capital” in the other and we wonder what happened to make them into such unrecognizable beings.

This is a generation in great need of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not need Veggie Tales and a fruit snack; they need conviction of sin and repentance. If ever there was a generation that needs to be evangelized, we are watching them riot and paint graffiti every evening on the news. There is no need to go to the mission field; the mission field is our own homes. We might wish it were different, but until we accept the bitter truth, we will not be fighting where the battle is raging. I hope you will think about this and pray and work to make a difference.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Coram Deo