a revolutionary generation

i am convinced that, historically, nearly one in every three generations is a revolutionary generation. to spare time and space, i will only go back as far as the american revolution in there was a generation that believed that america should be a free nation if britain wasn't going to be fair to it. just prior to the revolution was a spiritual awakening that drew the colonies together- something that nothing else in the history of the colonies had been done. however, in the years following the revolution, there was a noted moral decline in america.

benjamin rush, a signer of the declaration of independence, wrote a letter to president john adams in 1808 complaining of the deterioration of american society 'since the revolution.' he quoted the words of an 81-year-old who 'knew america in her youthful and innocent days' but who now felt 'they had all but become idolaters; they worshipped but one god it is true, but that god was God Dollars.' with disgust, rush noted, 'st. paul places coveteousness and uncleaness together as improper subjects of our conversation. but not only are our streets, but our parlors are constantly vocal with the language of a broker's office, and even at our convival dinners 'dollars' are a standing dish upon which all feed with rapidity and gluttony.'

a generation followed that one before a third rose up with a spiritual revolution that we now know as the second great awakening.

today we have a level of carnality that is so far gone that we are compelled to rise against it. jeff bernstein wrote, 'by the world's standards we americans face the greatest temptation in being lured away from God's true riches by temporal treasures. our refrigerators are filled with food as we relax in our climate-controlled homes, firing our remote controls at color tvs and cd stereos, leaving only to drive our air-conditioned cars to the nearest blockbusters, later to load the latest movies into our vcrs as we laugh and lounge on our comfortable couches. the rest of the world, in the meantime, struggles to survive another day.'

at the beginning of the 1900s there was a generation that saw a world in need twice and twice rose to the challenge. between both wars, they faced a nation in financial ruin, but it didn't stop them.

after the second world war, a generation grew up known as the baby-boomers. they were the flower children of the seventies. they wanted a revolution of their own, but their revolution was a decadent one. it wasn't that they were raised right, it's that the generation had nothing good to stand for. they raised up a generation so lost they didn't know what to call them. so they named them x.

as x gets married and raises families of their own, the focus is turned to the generation follwing. those who are 24 and under have been labled many things. we have been called gen y. primarily for following x. however, it is, i believe, prophetic. this generation is asking this vital question of itself, its society and its gods.

'why do i have to like everyone else?' 'why do i have to want to live the american dream?' 'why do i have to let things rule my life?'

we have also been labled the thumbs generation for all the video games we play.

in 2000, the usa today/gallup poll indicated that nearly 98 percent of those polled believed the end of the world would come before this generation died off. thus, we were newly labled the 'terminal generation.'

as we finish college we enter the workforce with the idea that we deserve more than people who entered the workforce before us. we think we deserve more money for less work. and now have been labeled 'the expectation generation.'

now, i understand the reasons behind some of these names, but i also see there is something prophetic behind it. i look at the world today and at this time, there is more access to the world than at any point in history- the internet, airlines, print media, audio/visual media, etc.

with these tools at our disposal, we can literally 'expect' to see the 'termination' of the great commission in one generation. every summer, airports are FILLED with youth groups going on missions trips. don't misunderstand me- the youth are not doing this on their own. they are catching the vision of their parents to make a change, and they're asking their question- 'why'. 'why can't we just do it?' and so they are doing it.

david shibley, in his book, the missions addiction, writes, 'todays youth are going out and accomplishing the impossible, only to discover after it's finished that it was supposed to be impossible.'

what other generation has faced 30 deadly school shootings spanning 8 states in a decade? 9 others occured internationally in that same span of time. what other generation has grown up with terrorist attacks such as the world trade center bombing in 1993, the oklahoma city bombing in 1995 and the tragedy of september 11, 2001?

what will this generation do? only time will tell and only God knows, but with the help of the generations before us, we can see, and be a vital part of, a revolution.


for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...