The writer of Ephesians wrote his words “in chains” . . . he told people – if you plan to follow Jesus, you are in for a real fight!

This quote got me thinking in relation to the above . . .

“Our hunch is that . . . Ephesians 6, telling Christians to prepare for battle, means more to some younger Christians than to older Christians because of a difference between the generations.  Most of us who are white and over thirty were raised in a Church where the main agenda of the church was to help Christians adapt to the world as it is.  Yet, we are meeting young Christians who are looking for a church where the agenda is how to help people survive as Christians.”

“Resident Aliens”, Hauwerwas and Willimon, page 150

Neither what we tend to do “adapt and assimilate” nor “hide and survive” are the answer.  We somehow need to equip this rising generation on how to thrive as distinctive and “stand out” followers of Jesus . . . but we have a problem, if we have not done this ourselves – how do we hope to raise a generation that will?

With humility, with a re-discovery of our “first love”, with a complete reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide us into (unfortunately) the uncharted waters of following in the footsteps of Jesus – who did not adapt, or hide, but through a life of love and self-giving, sought to transform those around Him – a work that took on cosmic proportions on the cross – we are called to be like Him . . . what a scary, exciting challenge for 2011.