Hey everyone,
I am writing tonight with a heavy heart. Currently, I am at
a Christian pre-teen camp (meaning, we have about 150 kids aged 7 to 13 here) working
with some of the young people who will make up the future of America—but not
just America, but the world. I word it that way for a reason: I really worry
about these kids.
Today, children move so quickly—and I don’t mean physically,
but their entire lives. Mostly, that is the environment in which they were
thrust. With everything working so quickly now, we can’t blame our children for
expecting things so quickly. They get out of school, then go to practice for
piano, only to come home, change into soccer clothes, and then go to soccer practice
right after, stopping at McDonald’s along the way to get something to eat. They
are owning phones at earlier and earlier ages, allowing them to connect with
friends instantly when they are not physically present. Many of those phones
have internet capability, with near-instant access to whatever information they
so desire—good or bad.
Granted, I am a huge proponent of technology. We are a
Windows family, with my wife and I having Windows Phones, my tablet, her
laptop, and our family desktop all talking to each other and sharing
information wirelessly between them. I find the networking amazing and utilize
it to the best of my ability (and its capability). So understand that when I
say the things I am about to say, I am not saying them with the voice of a
bitter old man who wishes for the “good ol’ days when everything was so simple
and we didn’t have all this techy nonsense!” I embrace technology and want to
teach our children to use it properly.
However, I’m seeing a trend with kids today. They are so
plugged into virtual life and all the consequences that it brings (both good
and bad) that they are missing out on life.
With instant access to anything, they only grasp a surface level
understanding of the topic and then think they know about it. With friends,
they are communicating mostly through text, which cannot hold anything substantial
for a prolonged period of time. Without intonation and body languages, a
simple, “Where are you?” can range from a heated, “Where are you so I can come
beat the crap out of you!” to an “I have some of the most exciting news to tell
you! Where are you?”
Sure, emoticons and longer texting can substitute occasionally
for the miscommunication problem, but it doesn’t fix the problem of
surface-level life. That’s what I think I am calling the “disease” many young
people face: Surface-Level Life Syndrome. Kids today are only focusing on the
immediate, what they can grab instantly, and what immediately gratifies their
interests. Just watch a kid next time they surf YouTube. Count the number of
seconds they wait before jumping to the next video either because it isn’t
loading or because they become bored with it. (Obviously, this is an exception
for kids who are not often exposed to electronics.)
It also comes out in conversations. I honestly cannot
remember the last time I had a deep talk with a youth about things that really
matter. Sure, I have gone on for hours about Yugioh, Pokemon, and other various
movies or TV shows. I have discussed martial arts, dodgeball, and HvZ with
dozens of kids. But none of these are substantial.
I looked out tonight during the invitation after the pastor
gave his alter call. He clearly lined out the gospel and how to get saved. He
encouraged kids to come forward to make a commitment. He even stressed the emphasis
of making such a decision. Nothing. Not a single kid responded. A few came up
for prayer. That was it.
Hear me out, I am not one who is big on alter calls. I
believe that a changed life is a much better indicator of actual commitment to
Jesus than a prayer. I believe alter calls should be handled extremely
carefully as to not sway someone into making an emotional decision. I can’t
stand emotional manipulation to get people to commit to something they really
know nothing about.
On the other hand, I also believe in the power of alter
calls. I believe that psychologically, people will remember that moment forever,
and some people need a mental anchor to cling to when making life changing
decisions. I actually encourage alter calls for that reason.
But tonight? Nothing. Granted, I have no idea what went on
inside the hearts of those kids. I don’t know what God is working on within
them. I never base how well a sermon went by an alter call. But this night was
different. It made me unsettled. It made me sad because it pointed out
something: for the last few weeks I have been at camp, it’s really been the
same thing. Nobody has responded to anything, really. Not that I have noticed.
What bugs me is that I see it on their faces. As I look
around during and after the sermon, I see a few people intently listening. Most
are either stone-faced or zoning out not paying attention. Some are obviously
bored and have no problem showing it. The first group and the last group I expect,
for that happens in every public speech ever given. However, it’s the stone-faced
and zoned-out ones that worry me. It is like they are hearing, but not
listening. They hear what the guy is saying, but are not applying to
themselves.
That’s another symptom of Surface-Life Syndrome: disregard
for anything they don’t really want to hear. I understand that is just part of
being a kid, but it goes deeper than that. It is a selfish mindset people place
themselves into where only they matter. In their own world, they are fine and
content, and can do whatever they want. I actually heard a person leaving the
sanctuary say, “I am the best Christian of all Christians who has ever
Christian-ed.” While the comment was made in jest, I wonder how much of it
rings true in the hearts of young people.
My problem is that kids today don’t seem to want more. They
have everything. They have nothing to aspire to. I saw this surface within my
generation as they approached college. When asking someone what they wanted to
do with their life, many responded with, “I don’t know… I guess go to college…”
They had no aspirations to be anything. Or, they had so many aspirations they
didn’t know which one to pursue. Most times, if they had any aspirations, they
were dramatically different. “I was thinking about being an aerospace engineer
or a vet.” It is great to have dreams, but sometimes it is best to just pick
one and pursue it with your whole being.
Outside of a Christian context, of the kids I am working with
at school, I see no desire to be better, to go deeper, or to work harder. They
are happy the way things are. I’m not saying that is a bad place to be at, but
you can’t stay there. With no motivation and no goal, people waste away. There is
a huge difference between being content with life and thinking everything is
perfect the way it is.
I hope these kids go deeper. I pray they find something that
tugs on their hearts and makes them want to be better. Personally, I wish it
was God they sought. I know many of my unchristian friends disagree with that.
I respect their opinions, but that’s still where my heart is.
I want to see kids yearn for God. I want them to realize
their life can be so much better when they surrender what they want to him. He
can make their life more abundant. No, it won’t be perfect, but it will be so
much deeper. It will have meaning.
Sadly, I don’t think kids are coming to grips with anything that
has meaning anymore. That breaks my heart. I wish they found meaning. I wish
they saw that life was so much more than just the facts on the internet or the
casual conversations they have with their friends. I wish they saw life was
more than food and video games. I wish they saw that life was more than being
the best on the football team or impressing the girl down the hall. There is a
much deeper world out there if they will simply open their minds to it.
That is my prayer for the young people of this generation. I
hope it is yours as well.
Follow
ing his call,
Adam