Every youth generation gets a bad rap. Doesn't matter if it's 1709 or 2009, the adults in charge will not like the music, clothes, vibe, or actions of that generation's youth culture.
Today, of course, is no different. Almost daily I hear some old dude (this means anyone over 30) rail on the evil teens/college students. I keep thinking that I must be doing something wrong. The more I watch and learn from today's youth, the more impressed I am. I would love for today's church leaders to take notes on how important relationships, community, and connecting are to teens and young twenty somethings. Actually, it seems like these things are held as their highest value.
Usually, the grumpy old man rant begins by talking about how young people constantly update their facebook or myspace pages and can only communicate with a cell phone in hand. Do a little digging and you find out that they love to keep everyone in the loop of what is going on in their lives. They have an unexplainable desire to know what all of their friends are doing at every waking second. I love it! Community isn't something that ends when you leave someone's presence, but its something that you strive to develop even when you are on vacation, alone in your bedroom, or wherever you might find yourself.
I also love the authenticity of our youth culture. It wigs old folks (again, anyone over 30) out when they see the personal information that the next generation leaders so freely post on public sites. They don't care who knows that they broke up with their boyfriend or are feeling depressed. Its almost like someone forgot to teach them that they are supposed to put on the mask of happiness and keep everyone at an arm's length. I wish the church and especially her leaders could be so vulnerable and open.
(Before anyone says it, I understand boundaries for our teens. I'm not talking about specific safety boundaries, but generational generalities.)
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