Generation Gaps

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     A goal-oriented, middle-aged, establishmentarian takes one look at his barefoot, bearded, long-haired, coarsely-clothed son, and screams. He may scream any of these words: anarchist, communist, ingrate, loafer, dreamer, good-for-nothing, sponger, stupid, hippie, bum, or any of a hundred other partially applicable, mostly inappropriate, and wholly ineffective terms.

     An under-thirty, now-oriented, anti-establishmentarian takes one look at his overweight, short-haired, appropriately dressed, pink-faced father, and yells: warmonger, slave, exploiter, polluter, upward mobile, money-grubber, and any of a hundred other more obscene, partially applicable, mostly inappropriate, and wholly ineffective terms.

     The generation gap widens. It is widest at its extremes. Those who are farthest from each other are seen as extremists. Extremists are made, not born. They are made of rebellion and reaction. An interesting thing about extremists is that they think themselves opposites from their counterpart extremists. They are not. Like magnets similarly charged, they repel each other. Their continuum is curved. While seeming to get farther apart at first, they eventually follow each his curved line, meeting either at the zenith or nadir of the circle they have formed. There they stand side by side!

     Now they are back to back, facing away from each other. If they had stayed facing each other they could, at least have communicated. But they were propelled away from each other by their reaction. Jesus encouraged communication, bridge-building and reason. He discouraged withdrawal, wall-building and irrationality. Withholding pearls from swine and shaking off foot-dust from a rejecting city is not withdrawal; just recognition of final rejection. It is not irrational, unloving, or withdrawn to stop proposing when the fair maid swats you with the flowers and beans you with the vase. But, if she calls up the next day and drips honey all over your shirt, you don't hang up on her. She might have changed her mind.

     The generation gap exists because we refuse to become vulnerable enough to build a bridge or two, admit an error or two, accept another who differs with us on a thing or two, and look for a few more alternatives. It is very difficult to bite while talking. It is even more difficult to have a temper tantrum while thinking clearly, and vice versa.

--B. E. Junkins in The Mission Bay Christian, December 1, 1971.