Evangelism

Our nation was rocked by the image of a white police officer pressing his knee onto the neck of a black man for more than eight minutes. George Floyd could be heard gasping for breath and moaning “I can’t breathe,” but Officer Derek Chauvin refused to back off. Bystanders appealed for Chauvin to release his victim, but he ignored them. The resulting death plunged the USA into chaos as protesters by the thousands took to the streets of nearly every city, and in some places windows were smashed, stores looted and buildings torched. Police, protesters, and bystanders alike were injured and a few killed.

Most Americans were appalled by this tragic death, and sobered by the undeniable evidence of police brutality. It’s now impossible to pretend it doesn’t happen. Sadly, this was not a mere aberration, but the latest example of a pattern of abuse that spans decades. Many black Americans have genuine reason to fear unequal treatment at the hands of the police. Serious reform is overdue.

Do black lives matter? Yes they do! We need to acknowledge that long standing racial prejudice continues to erode the American promise of equality. Too many white Americans seem oblivious to the unequal treatment that blacks experience on a regular basis. One nation under God? In theory yes, but often it looks more like two different nations occupying the same territory, one white, one black.

Encouraging a new generation to go on for God

A new generation is emerging right before our eyes. The Millennials are now adults, and today’s current youth culture is dominated by members of Generation Z. Everyone from professional marketeers to church leaders are beginning to realize that things are changing dramatically.

Research abounds about the characteristics and motivations of Generation Z. Most sociologists and demographers agree that this generational cohort, born between 1995 and 2010 and which now constitutes over 25 percent of the US population, is about to have a significant and lasting impact. That’s why James Emery White makes this recommendation, “Drop everything and start paying attention to Generation Z. They will not simply influence American culture… . They will constitute American culture.”

Based upon my own personal reading, research, and observations, here are some defining features of this new generation.

Gen Zs are “digital natives.”

This generation has always had constant access to the internet in their pockets or purses. I’ve seen two-year-olds with their own iPads, and five-year-olds with their own smartphones. I’ll add to this later, but as Seemiller and Grace have suggested, the members of Gen Z are most likely the offspring of Gen Xers. Gen Xers were the first generation to use their PCs or Macs for work, and they are the first generation to be totally comfortable with their children utilizing various devices for continual connection to the internet.