Yea, I know, might be getting a little to spun up on this subject. Maybe it’s just a function of my becoming an old fuddy-duddy. But I’ve had some interesting interactions with this generation. OK, after this I will stop picking on them, maybe.
Hubris is defined: “ˈ(h)yo͞obrəs/ noun
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synonyms: arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, hauteur, pride, self-importance, egotism, pomposity, superciliousness, superiority; informalbig-headedness, cockiness“the hubris among economists was shaken”-
(in Greek tragedy) excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis.
I can’t wait until someone whines to the effect “…eh whaddya gotta speak Latin for”, you know because they’re scare, not afraid, they’re scared. As “educated” as that generation thinks it is, it just isn’t. If you are familiar with the concept you will understand how much trouble a person would get into because of their hubris, arrogance. It’s especially common with people who think they get it, but aren’t even close. (any kind of it).
However there is hope. I was especially encouraged to see a recent blog by an 18 year old. The article sounded kind of whiney, how bad the church is yada-yada (note I didn’t know the background of the author). It looked more like middle- aged angst, but upon reading further: “So as the Body of Christ, let’s stop thinking of ourselves, our likes, dislikes, and preferences, and let’s make God the focus of our worship within the church. Let’s love and lead like Jesus did for us, for His glory.” ( http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/christian-you-need-the-church.html?utm_content=buffer84444&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_source=cwpg&utm_campaign=cwupdate) Wow Kelsey, great job! It’s not just millenials who do it, but many who are just not intellectually stimulated; “Well I just don’t like it…” As if your likes/dislikes matter in the least. I don’t see God sitting up in heaven getting all spun up “wow, Brittany and Hunter didn’t like that part of the Bible. Maybe I should authorize a revision there, all that nastiness in Canaan. Maybe they’re right, maybe that wasn’t “fair”, hmmm”. Ya, our little ones may not “like” it, but it’s not going to change anything, and if they received a little context, they might actually find themselves getting some intellectual depth.
Going back to ancient Greek mythology, people got into serious trouble because of their “hubris”, this generation is well on their way to that trouble. They are a seriously undereducated/poorly educated group, that have been given little training in any kind of critical capability. (This despite the exorbitant amounts of money spent on public education). Most of their likes/dislikes come from the opinions that their poorly educated, little in terms of life experiences, public school teachers and college professors passed on to them. Even if their “educators” knew the reality, seems they often find it easier to give in, be the popular teacher instead of the one who pushes on their students.
Problem for us is this; real adults have to deal with straight out ignorance, which also consists of pure sentimentalism. This is from the same group that thinks their adolescence should go to at least 30 years of age, while still knowing more than everyone. If that doesn’t give you an insight into the lack of logic we’re dealing with, I don’t know what will.
This is an incredibly gullible generation that gets spun up about such things as letting males use women’s restrooms. On one issue they have grasped reality is abortion. Being the generation that was completely under legalized abortion, they are becoming much more pro-life realizing that they could have easily been a victim of abortion.
In ministry there’s a recognition of the person who thinks that their ministry is one of criticism. They never actually do anything, but they think that it’s incumbent on them to find all the failings in the church and report them to someone to have their issues fixed and to their satisfaction. They don’t do anything except make life tough for other people who are actually trying to do something. We may have created a whole generation like that. People who can’t really provide for themselves, but know what is wrong with everyone else. The bizarre part is that we’re actually listening to them instead of being the grown-ups and telling them they need to sit down and listen. Please sit them down, they really do need to learn something!
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Pastor Jim Driskell 
As promised, I did stay Friday night, First Friday in York so there were people in the area. Opened up just before 6pm, stayed until 6:30. Was hoping to stay longer than that, but exactly zero people showed up. I’m sure there’s a whole string of excuses and blah-blah. The point of one of the FB writers was well taken, there should be times and places when people can come in person and ask questions, get into discussions about the things that they would like to dive deeper into. I will try to do that on a regular basis, at least on first Fridays. But I truly believe that for most people today, they really don’t want to discuss, they want to believe what they believe, no matter how groundless their belief. Play music, serve food people are more likely to show up. Provide a forum for intellectual and/or spiritual nourishment, ya, not so much. It’s becoming more the time of the Roman emperors when it was easier to give the masses bread and circuses, what they want, but in the meantime keep them in ignorance. The American public is very much about ignorance today. Let someone else do the thinking for me is their creed and that person would be the one who wants to take from some and give it to the largest number possible, which of course includes me. So I seriously doubt that anyone will ever come, it’s just another “excuse”, no matter what I do it won’t be far enough, fast enough, the right color and those in the world who have become so expert at making excuses will just come up with more excuses. It has turned into a sucker’s game. There are many, like me, who genuinely want to do what’s needed and will expend time, energy and resources to do it. But for the most part you have people who have become expert in whining and complaining, have no intention whatsoever in genuinely trying, and for those who genuinely want to do something, they would be wise to focus on those who sincerely want to know and forget about listening to the whining and excuses of the vast majority. It’s a game those who are genuine are going to lose, the whiners are never going to come around and only want to drag everyone else down with them and then wonder why everything is so bad.
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