Received this in an email recently:
The day has arrived – Einstein said it and he was right…
Having a coffee…
Getting together at a restaurant…
Enjoying beautiful art at the museum…
Pleasantly chatting in a cafe’…
Enjoying a day at the beach…
At the stadium rooting for your team…
Having fun with the girlfriend…
A drive in a convertible…
Albert Einstein: “I fear the day when the technology overlaps with our humanity. The world will only have a generation of idiots.”
I see this attitude prevalent in many folks from my generation and older (Gen X through Silent). This is kind of thing breaks my heart. Here is my response:
I respectfully disagree with this email as someone who has given his life to take the Gospel to emerging generations.
Technology may be overlapping with our humanity but this generation is hardly a generation of idiots. There is great potential in this generation. They care deeply and are motivated to create change. Just look at what is happening in the Arab world. It is this generation. Every year thousands of students are going to the world with the Gospel through organizations like Cru and InterVarsity. Or just look at the members of this generation that serve faithfully in Appalachia.
Einstein was indeed wrong. I believe this generation will be looked back upon as one that sparked a great revival leveraging a global communication system that allows the Gospel to go to all peoples. Very much like the Roman roads allowed the Gospel to explode all over the known world.
No, Einstein was indeed wrong. This generation is not a generation of idiots. If we think that, then, we are the idiots. If we think that, then we have failed as their elders and mentors. If we think that, then, we need to get off our Facebooks, emails, and TVs and begin a relationship with a member of this generation. They are hungering for relationship with those older than them. Yet we ignore them or think we have nothing to offer. They are crying out to be discipled yet we are too busy or regulate that to the professional “youth pastor” who is a few years older than them.
Einstein was indeed wrong. I believe this generation will be looked back upon as one that sparked a great revival leveraging a global communication system that allows the Gospel to go to all peoples. Very much like the Roman roads allowed the Gospel to explode all over the known world.
No, Einstein was indeed wrong. This generation is not a generation of idiots. If we think that, then, we are the idiots. If we think that, then we have failed as their elders and mentors. If we think that, then, we need to get off our Facebooks, emails, and TVs and begin a relationship with a member of this generation. They are hungering for relationship with those older than them. Yet we ignore them or think we have nothing to offer. They are crying out to be discipled yet we are too busy or regulate that to the professional “youth pastor” who is a few years older than them.
This generation wants to learn to to worship but find it difficult as they have been largely shoved into a corner of most churches to only be seen and not heard.
Einstein was wrong. This is not a generation of idiots. It is a generation of activists that desperately needs the Gospel.
I am disembarking from my soapbox. Grace and peace to all of you.
Einstein was wrong. This is not a generation of idiots. It is a generation of activists that desperately needs the Gospel.
I am disembarking from my soapbox. Grace and peace to all of you.
