My generation (the millennials) were raised
(intentionally or unintentionally) biblically. We were taught that you should care for the people around you, you were supposed to share everything, you were to be kind to others, and you were to treats others the way you would want to be treated. One could argue that these are just good morals and I wouldn't disagree but these are (while possibly over simplified) the things Jesus did and taught.
In contrast to the things we were taught daily growing up, there has always been a running narrative in America that is very unbiblical; pulling yourself up by your boot straps to be successful. This is the what America was built on, individuals working hard, taking care of themselves, pushing the boundaries, and eventually succeeding to build wealth and the many luxuries we take for granted in this country today.
So why are the things we were taught growing up and this idea of American success in contrast to each other? Well the first are purely communal acts: sharing with others, caring for others, being kind to others, treating others fairly. You cannot accomplish the things we were taught to do by yourself. It requires others! But the idea of "pulling yourself up by your boot straps" is purely individual. With this mindset you are the one who is creating success for yourself. The individual becomes the primary focus and drive.
Acts 2:42-47 describes to us what the first Christian communities looked like. They were gatherings of people who worshiped, learned, ate, and enjoyed fellowship together. They shared everything they had, sold their possessions and gave the money to those in need. They become a community of people, not individuals, that supported one another, lifted each other up so no one individual had to lift themselves up by their boot straps. Jesus gives us our marching orders as the disciples ask which commandment is the most important (Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus responds, "...love the Lord your God...love your neighbor as yourself...". How do we show our love to God? By loving God's creation as God loves it. Loving our neighbors and treating them as we want to be treated becomes an act of worship and love for God. We cannot love others without others! You cannot demonstrate love unless there is a person to act that love upon. Community becomes the way we encounter God at work in the world. And we do that by listening and following what our parents taught us: care for people, be kind, share, etc.
I find it interesting that the "pull yourself up by your boot straps" generations are now voicing their discontent with the Millennials they raised to share and care for others. Millennials are being told to "grow up" and "life isn't fair" as if the caring and sharing lessons were really just for the kids but your an adult now and in the real world you have to "pull yourself up by your boot straps!" It is like the idea of sharing and caring for others was a Santa Clause story told to kids to make them feel good but once they get to a certain age we have to sit them down and tell them the truth; no one out there is actually flying around giving away presents to everyone. Mom and dad spend hard earned money on those gifts and sometimes the money is tight.
But here is the thing, sharing and caring for others is not just a story we tell kids to make them feel good. It is a very real way of life. Caring for others no matter who they are is a choice we each can make every day of our lives. Sharing what we have whether it is a lot or not is a real choice we can make every hour of every day. We were taught these things as kids for a reason. Many of us were taught these things because of their biblical ramifications while others just because it was what was right. Maybe we were taught these things out of an idealistic mindset with hopes that we wouldn't have to experience the "real world". Maybe they thought we would learn these things and we could be the generation that could change it all.
And that becomes the irony of all of this. The same people who taught a generation (maybe with idealistic hopes of changing the world to a better place) that sharing what you have and caring for everyone around you no matter what actually matters is the same generation that is berating their kids and grand kids for doing what they were taught. Maybe no one actually thought that those idealistic things Millennials were taught would actually take hold. They would become just like every generation in the past, growing up and realizing they can't rely on the others and have to pull themselves up by their boot straps.
But no, we were listening. We were watching. We were learning. You taught us an idealistic dream for the future and we liked what we saw. We realized that we are all in this together. We learned how good it felt to share with someone who had nothing. We learned how good it felt to accomplish a task with a team or even fail as a team. We learned that we can accomplish more when we have help. And we are learning how empty our lives can be when we are disconnected from the "other" due to technology.
If you believe we are a monster in this world or an annoyance, then know that you created this, fed it, and taught it. But what I believe is that we owe all the generations before us a very big thank you! You have raised a generation that maybe, just maybe can begin to change the path of this world towards an idealistic vision which is God's vision for God's world. Because of what you taught us I believe we are taking small steps to making your idealistic vision a reality where no one will have to pull themselves up by their boot straps but instead are pulled up by their neighbors with love. So maybe it's time to stop complaining about the Millennials and remember what you taught us. We'd love to have you join us. In fact, you are the ones who taught us in the first place so really you are the experts! We are better together!
