As I write this, I’m sitting on a plane, reflecting on a conference I just attended which was geared towards engaging unreached and unengaged Muslim people groups. Not my first conference on this important topic. Twenty years ago, I was the youngest in the room. But now – as a middle-aged, overweight man on Rogaine -- I’m still one of the youngest in the room. My balding head even has some gray hair now. And my wonderful colleagues who are committed to reaching the unreached are all graying also. Let’s just
These slogans appeal to some generations. They provide a sense of responsible, manageable urgency for Boomers and Gen Xers. But for Millennials and Gen Z, the same urgency might simply add to their stress and anxiety. For Gen Z to be told that they need to rescue a mission in decline or to imply that they are responsible for the status of world evangelization seems counterproductive. Additionally, we might benefit from more holistic and self-critical perspectives on mission. We have scales for the progress
Instead of an urgency of responsibility perhaps we need an urgency of joy and love. Or instead of urgency we can speak of an apostolic calmness or a non-anxious resolve. The Bible Project’s visual commentary on Genesis 1 points out that in contrast to the Babylonian and Egyptian creation myths, we have an all-powerful Royal Artist creating the cosmos -- not from violence -- but in order and peace and harmony. This kind of language matches the narrative aspirations of both Gen Z and the cultural values of mu