Jewish Journal Columnist Marty Kaplan wrote a great article in the latest edition of his paper. I agree, both sadly yet profoundly, with the observations that he made about Homeward Bound Generation Y. Though I do not agree with hisexplanation why so many recent college grads are throwing up their hands and running home to Mom and Dad, I can relate to the struggles that many of them are facing and thinking about.
The whole article reminded me of the song from the Disney movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" --"You must the age of not believing, doubting everything you ever knew . ."
Unfortunately, for many college graduates, who have been schooled in moral relativism and personal preference instead of facts, figures, and critical thinking, they cannot see a world beyond the limited world view of their minds. The "Terror of Adolescence" -- a phrase coined by David Mamet in his book "The Secret Knowledge" -- has captured many young adults, so connivingly convinced are they that right, wrong, success, and failure depend more and more on personal preference than adherence to history, tradition, or any other set of beliefs. No wonder many of them look merely at what is, which is not much in today's fallen world, instead of believing and reaching for what could be.
Habakkuk prophesied: "The righteous by faith live" (Habakkuk 2:4) -- not by their wits, not by their limited intellect.
Regarding the reality of luck, I am reminded of King Solomon's wise and very prescient quip, which he penned at the end of a hard and rowdy life:
"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
Time (eth) is first mentioned in Genesis 24, in which Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for his son Isaac. Not chalking up his fortunate find to chance or luck, the servant of Abraham calls out to the Lord, who found himself at the right place at the right time to find Rebecca, Isaac's future bride!
Youth today need to believe more, they need to believe in a God who exists and rewards those who diligently seek (desire) Him. Then the world would not be so scary a place.
Did not God also promise to His people that He would bless them, no matter where they ended up, if they listened to Him:
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently (shema shema) unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
"Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. " (Deuteronomy 28: 1-3)
My take on Kaplan's article goes to the spiritual turn. Still, I think returning to the faith of our Father Abraham would be better for Generation Y than parking our sorry selves on our parents' couches and waiting for life to get better.
Father Abraham listened to the Lord (Lech Lecha!), left country, kith, and kin (Genesis 12: 1-3), and the Lord blessed Him because Abraham believed in the Lord (cf Genesis 15: 6)! Generation Y needs to hear this message -- they need to know about the blessings that can rain upon them through the covenant of faith imparted to Abraham and all of his seed!
The struggles of today's young adult generation remind me of the adventures that God has taken me through, from utter despair and fear of a forbidding world to believing, like Joseph, that the Lord is with me (Genesis 39:2), and that by trusting in Him and His Promise, all will be blessed in my life!
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