A generational divide - Recycled teenagers?
Bruce Geeves' keyring with colourful shirt
Have you heard that seniors are recycled teenagers? Bruce Geeves explains.
This puts seniors into the spotlight when we are looking at the divisions within the church between 'young' and 'old'. It does not take long for any division to start - any time when people don't see their own viewpoint acknowledged. That's why it is so refreshing to read Steve Turner's poem 'I am on the kids side'.*
One of the unfortunate things about community life now is that it separates people into age-related activities. The church is one of the few groups where people can explore the age differences, learn from them and even gain 'wisdom' from either end of the age spectrum.
As an over-50 I was going on about mobile phones as a terrible way for people to relate to others: how they go off at any time, with people cutting others off in mid-sentence to commence another conversation or SMS and how I found this really rude. I was countered by a youth worker who said, 'If I can't be contacted that is seen as rude as well.'
So there are often two sides to every point of view. It is a matter of opinion.
Being aware of others' views takes time; you need to listen. How do we in our churches provide opportunities for age groups to mix?
I am often asked, 'You have worked with youth and now you are working with seniors. What is the difference?'
Each age group has needs.
The youth are being trained and learning what will provide a basis for getting through life, whereas seniors are in reflection and enjoying the time after family and occupation responsibilities. However, we are all involved in life. We note from Heraclitus (540-480BC) that 'nothing endures but change.'
I have just read a book in which a couple of dozen 100 year-olds were interviewed. The most common factors among them were resilience and a good sense of humour.
Often the grandparents get on well with their grandchildren; neither group has the same responsibilities of career and family that the generation between them has.
Time has a great deal to do with it, too. James Dobson says that if you spend time with anyone you will get to know them.
It seems to me that the scourge of our times is to isolate people. It is not that we should be spending 'quality time' with people. We need to be 'wasting time' with people.
As Stephen Turner says 'I'm for making noises. I'm for playing jokes especially in life's more Serious Bits.'*
Bruce Geeves is also involved as a Community Chaplain at Hutchins school, in an inter-generational program with the students and some local senior citizens.
- 'I am on the kids' side' from Up to Date by Steve Turner, published by Hodder and Stoughton