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I like themes in life. This idea, "From "whatever" to "what if'" is a theme that arose when trying to engage young people in serious life, God, and spiritual matters.
Here is the premise; I have found this word "whatever" to be entirely unnerving in our culture. It reeks of the complacent uninspired apathetic culture that we have allowed to form in parts of our comfortable worlds. I hate the word "whatever," but my wife hates it more. And she hates when I use it, which at times can be quite often. When we're having a conversation and I use the word ''whatever'' it is communicating to her that I really don't care... Whether I want it to or not, that's really how it sounds.
How do you combat complacency? How do you engage apathy? What do you do with a person who just holds their hands up and with a disengaging look on their face says "whatever"??? A friend gave me a quote I love that says, "Its easier to tame a wild stallion than it is to prod a mule." You can do a lot with people who are passionate and fiery! They are motivated, sometimes even too much, but at least they are moving, you cannot do much with a sluggard.
So how do you combat this culture of apathy?
[Very important note here, I think that some of the most passionately motivated people are alive today, and a lot of them are young people, so this is in no way to be a broad brush stroke over our entire population. Rather this is something that God gave me (and a dear friend of mine) to combat this mentality when it arises.]
You combat apathy with questioning, and your own activity... Or so I think. I used to run these discussion groups, they were open forums designed to help people start to interact over topics of life, God, faith, and many other types of issues. If I were to ask a group of young people today if God exists, we would get a lot of responses; a fervent "NO," a zealous "yes" perhaps, and a lot of "I don't know...what does it matter...don't be so heavy...whatever..." See you can at least do something with someone who is hot or cold, but with someone who is luke warm, you can't do anything, I wish everyone was one way or the other. Don't you? Because what if God really does exist? What if people really do live forever? What if Jesus is a real guy who walked the earth and actually rose from the dead? What if there is purpose, meaning and value to life? What if there is a heaven and a hell? What if everything matters??? See where I am going?
May we take this culture of 'whatever' out for good, through right action and one of the greatest questions of all time, "what if...?"
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Good thoughts. I struggle and have struggled with this attitude since we began working with youth in the church in the 80's and college kids in the 90's. A friend of mine used to say youth back in the 80's where committed to whatever, meaning whatever came up at the time and is more interesting they would jump on it, even if something they were doing was important to others around them.
I like asking questions with 'what if'. Great thought.
I gave a talk a few years back to some young people about how my attitude on life and faith went from "whatever" to "Ok, God Whatever...." The apathetic whatever was replaced with a conviction to do whatever God put on my life.
I like how you put it, though, with What if...
I'll have to start using that on my kids when they whatever me!
I think that there are certainly many factors involved in the current apathy and lack of direction for young people, particularly young adults. There is this Quarter Life Crisis, although similar to the experience of previous generations of 20-somethings, coming out of college, I think that there have been many changes in our culture that has shifted the thoughts and lives of young adults to something that creates more uncertainty, anxiety, and hopelessness than those previous generations have experienced. (Feel free to check out my blog, which deals with Quarter Life Crisis) We as a generation are seeking answers more related to "who am I?" rather than "what do I do?" I also think this cultural phenomenon has moved into the church, and until the church catches on to becoming relationally oriented instead of action oriented, we will only contribute to the disillusionment of our young adults and youth. Until the church becomes dream sensitive rather than trying to get everybody onboard with the program, we're fighting a losing battle.
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Good thoughts. I struggle and have struggled with this attitude since we began working with youth in the church in the 80's and college kids in the 90's. A friend of mine used to say youth back in the 80's where committed to whatever, meaning whatever came up at the time and is more interesting they would jump on it, even if something they were doing was important to others around them.
I like asking questions with 'what if'. Great thought.
Posted by tony | Posted at 12/10/2007 12:00 PMI gave a talk a few years back to some young people about how my attitude on life and faith went from "whatever" to "Ok, God Whatever...." The apathetic whatever was replaced with a conviction to do whatever God put on my life.
I like how you put it, though, with What if...
I'll have to start using that on my kids when they whatever me!
Posted by pamhogeweide | Posted at 12/13/2007 8:42 PMI think that there are certainly many factors involved in the current apathy and lack of direction for young people, particularly young adults. There is this Quarter Life Crisis, although similar to the experience of previous generations of 20-somethings, coming out of college, I think that there have been many changes in our culture that has shifted the thoughts and lives of young adults to something that creates more uncertainty, anxiety, and hopelessness than those previous generations have experienced. (Feel free to check out my blog, which deals with Quarter Life Crisis) We as a generation are seeking answers more related to "who am I?" rather than "what do I do?" I also think this cultural phenomenon has moved into the church, and until the church catches on to becoming relationally oriented instead of action oriented, we will only contribute to the disillusionment of our young adults and youth. Until the church becomes dream sensitive rather than trying to get everybody onboard with the program, we're fighting a losing battle. Posted by shane ambro | Posted at 12/14/2007 7:26 AM