Reposted with permission from The House Studio Blog, February 4, 2011A reporter covering the events in the Middle East commented that perhaps the unrest in Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt is a ‘1989’ milestone for the Middle East. Of course, that caught my attention and it started me thinking – about my generation.
Were Gen Xers Born To Late?
I have always had this feeling that my generation ‘missed it’ – born too late to be part of the Boomers that changed everything and born too early to be part of a Google generation who never knew life before computers. We seem to exist as a bridge between two realities, Generation X – the generation with no name. A generation who failed to define themselves with anything outstanding or perhaps, since we did not give ourselves that name, a generation from whom others anticipated little. So, has my generation discovered its purpose yet?
As I watch world events unravel from my computer screen, I feel led to say, ‘now is my time’. My daughters find it fun to tell me I am old. “I am only 42!” I exclaim. “Exactly!” they respond. Middle-aged, really? It sounds so inglorious, so yesterday, so … well … old. But look at what my generation has experienced: the fall of a wall, the rise of house-churches across China, a show-down in Tiananmen Square, the end of apartheid in South Africa, and I could go on. This inglorious generation met ourselves as adults to the cries for freedom across our planet. And today, another milestone – reports predict that Friday, February 4, 2011 will be a turning point for Egypt. Yet again, our world holds its breath as another generation raises its voice for change in the streets of Cairo. Some statistics report that 90 percent of young people in Egypt are unemployed.
Meanwhile, in my global neighborhood:
- Albanian people protested in the streets last month.
- In Kosova there are rising rates of persecution against Christians.
- Each year, 120,000 Balkan women and children are trafficked into Europe as prostitutes.
A Facebook friend posted a quote that encouraged Christians to ponder what future peoples will surmise about God-followers who lived in comfortable homes, wore nice clothes, and parked multiple vehicles while children on the same planet starved. I am guilty.
Inglorious Gen Xers
To my generation–the inglorious Generation X –and the so-called Millennials behind me I just have to say, ‘It is still our ‘now’. This is OUR time.’ Today WE are the adults. What will we make of our moment? Will we continue to teach our children that they are entitled to comfort or will we teach them to make a difference? Will we continue to work to fill our bank account or to fill a hungry stomach? Will we pay attention to Cairo on our knees in prayer? For this God-ordained blink of time, we lead the corporations, are raising the next generation, are making policy, and forming the future. This is our time. What will we do with it?
God help us to be both passionate and wise with our lives.
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Special thanks to Bruce of House Studio for allowing me to repost this on my site.
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