Week 28—Thursday 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 5:1-2
1 Timothy 4:12-16; 5:1-2
THE TWO GENERATIONS NO LONGER
AT CROSS-PURPOSES
We are studying the prophecy of Joel which Peter quoted as fulfilled with the coming of the Holy Spirit. We saw that the distinctions between flesh and spirit, man and man, man and woman were broken down in the coming of the Spirit. Another barrier went down—the barrier between ages: “Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Youth and old age would be together in a fellowship of the Spirit, sharing the forward look—seeing visions and dreaming dreams—both feeling the tingle of the new creation in them and in the world. This shows the two generations united, no longer at loggerheads with youth representing radicalism and old age representing conservatism, but a radical-conservatism emerged. And we need both, for if we were all conservative we would dry up, and if we were all radical we would break up! But between the pull back of the conservative and the pull ahead of the radical we make progress in a middle direction. This tension between the generations has been here for ages—it is not a modern phenomenon, it is ancient. One of the oldest bits of writing in the world is found in a Constantinople (now Istanbul) museum. On it is written, “Alas, times are not what they used to be. Children no longer obey their parents and everyone wants to write a book.” Sounds modern! But under the new creation of the Spirit, the two generations were one—one in creative outlook and action.
I was to speak in a university convocation, but it was “Sadie Hawkins Day” and these ceremonies of rube costumes and horseplay had to be gone through with before I spoke. It seemed impossible to speak on a serious religious subject after all this rollicking fun. But to my surprise, and to everyone else’s, that great student body settled down and in five minutes were giving rapt attention. At the close several hundred stayed for personal surrender to Christ. That group of youth was sound down underneath. The older generation was proud of them.
O Holy Spirit, you are harnessing the generations to produce the Regeneration—a new world order. Save us from futile recriminations between the age groups—help us to harness the energy of youth and experience of age to our world tasks. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: A wise radicalism is true conservatism.