Generations Come and Go

by David Haberstock

Holy Scripture lays down a pattern in Exodus. Moses, the white-bearded prophet (with a wonder-working staff) led the people out of slavery in Egypt, and he led the next generation in the wilderness and into the promised land. But due to their harsh treatment in Egypt they were weak, and due to their unbelief they wandered the wilderness until only two of that nomadic generation, Joshua and Caleb, entered the land of promise. Instead, the generation born and raised in the wilderness, became the heroes as young adults who conquered the land under Joshua’s leadership.

Generations come and go. And yet, this pattern written in the pages of the Bible is a pattern across time and literature, for the Lord knows what He is doing. He is the creator not only of the earth, but of the patterns of reality.

Think about Star Wars. Whitebearded space wizard/prophet Obi-Wan Kenobi (technological staff in hand) helps raise up a new hope in young Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, Luke is protected, assisted, and mentored by the older nomadic wanderer Han Solo.

Think of hapless, heroic Harry Potter, encouraged by white-bearded Albus Dumbledore (elder “staff” in hand), and mentored by a middle-aged cast of nomads such as Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Rubeus Hagrid. Or in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, white-bearded Gandalf (staff in hand) mentors and encourages the nomad Strider/Aragorn, who is a protector and mentor to young hero Frodo Baggins.

But what does all this have to do with the Church? Well, this pattern of a prophetic generation, a nomadic generation, and heroic generation (followed by a generation of artists before the cycle repeats) is a common one, not only in Scripture, but in history.

We are nearing the end of one of these generational cycles. The heroes who fought the great fight at the end of the last cycle were the Greatest Generation, who, as young adults, fought World War II. The generation after them, children during the war, were the silent generation, from which came most of the artists of the 60s, and the oldest generation in our congregations now.

In the happy days after the war were born the baby boomers, who, as young adults, heralded a prophetic transformation of society in the 60s and 70s (for good or for ill, I’ll let you decide). They were followed by a generation of nomads, Generation X, who felt adrift in the swirling cultural currents of their childhood and who are now maturing into middle age.

The next in line heroic generation, the Millennials, came into young adulthood just in time for a crisis—one we are either in the midst or on the verge of right now. Will there be one or two nomadic middle-aged leaders who emerge for the people of God in the days ahead? Will the young adults of the moment, with their help, become a heroic generation? Will the Lord raise up a faithful prophet or two from the white-bearded baby boomers?

What is the Lord up to? I don’t know. But I know that the Church has been built upon the rock of faith, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I know that though the Church was only eight souls in all in Noah’s day, He preserved Noah as a preacher of righteousness, and brought forth a new world through the cleansing waters of the flood.

I know that though the Israelites were hard-pressed in slavery in Egypt, the Lord baptized them in the waters of the Rea Sea, freeing them through water, so that on one side they were slaves, and on the other side they were a free people. I know that though they were downtrodden, the Lord raised up their children to conquer the land He promised unto them.

It certainly seems that few of my generation, Gen X, have made it through our wilderness wanderings into leadership for the seemingly impossible task in front of us of “conquering the land” in our day. But then, only two of Joshua’s nomad generation made it through their wanderings. Will the Lord again lead His church in some new triumph He has in mind? Will He use such poor clay as my generation, the Millennials, and the baby boomers? I don’t know. But this is the pattern that He has allowed to occur in Scripture, history, and literature.

In the end, the only thing that matters is not the faithfulness of one generation or another, but the faithfulness of the Lord and His Word. He promises to save those who trust in His Son’s holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death. As generations come and go, we pass on this faith, as the Lord enables, to our children and grandchildren. But we leave the broad sweeps of history to the Lord, for He is faithful even when we are not.

Rev. David Haberstock is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)'s Central Regional Pastor.