Bloggin Bout My Generation, Part I

(Image from www.xkcd.com.)

I was born in July of 1981. By nearly all sociologists' demographics, that puts me right in the middle of the transition between Generation X and the Millennials. And I could see the difference in high school: Most of my older classmates seemed characterized by apathy, emptiness, and nihilism, while most students just a year behind me in school (though only a few months younger) seemed characterized by an almost unending optimism that they could take on the world and win. On the few occasions that I saw them interact, it was like watching Kurt Cobain duke it out with Ross from Friends.

I've never really felt as though I fit into either category. I appreciate the GenXers' honest outlook on life (though I could never understand how they got out of bed each morning), but I also wish I could have the Millennials' optimism (without feeling like I was deceiving myself). I've always felt that, as a Christian, it's my nature to transcend any categories that human wisdom puts me into. (Of course, the fact that I'm an introverted nerd who teaches physics and writes blogs like this one doesn't help me fit in, either.)

These feelings (identifying equally with each generation while feeling equally alien to each generation) lead me to think a lot about the Christians my age. We've definitely come "into life." We're past the "staring out" point in our careers; college is long gone; we're (generally) not going to Newsboys concerts anymore (Are they even still around?); we've forgone seeking "spiritual mountaintops" in favor of enough faith to make it to work each morning; we've got some money in our 401-k's (and hoping it will stay there); and we're trying to be involved in the local church as adults.

I think it's this last characteristic (amid the swirling vortex of all of them) that's giving us the most trouble.

We don't really know what previous generations of Christians think of us: When we were growing up, they seemed to think we were all pregnant drug addicts. On the other hand, they seem to be watching us, like we're the new gila monsters at the zoo.

We don't really know how to make friends at church. (Adults don't seem to do those icebreaker games we learned in Youth Group.)

We don't know where we can serve or whom we should ask about it.

When we do meet someone new at church, we don't know what to talk about.

How can my generation find its way through this challenging time? Should we try to forge a new identity for ourselves? Should we try to be like the previous generations? Should we just "be ourselves," as we were taught at school? Should we disconnect until others initiate with us?

Doubly Marginalized, Part 6: What the Church Can Do

Christians in the university very often feel like outsiders in both their churches and their institutions. In this series, I take a look at the different aspects of this situation of being doubly marginalized.

I'd like to close this series of posts with a few practical thoughts for Christians in the university and their churches. Last time, I focused on how Christians in the university can help each other. Here, I'd like to offer a few practical thoughts on how our local churches can support Christians in the university and encourage us even in everyday conversation and fellowship.

1. Understand that we never really stop working. When we come to church, we try to put the mental processes on hold so that we can fellowship with you, but sometimes inspiration just strikes and we may look like we’re in LaLa-Land. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to talk to you and wouldn’t welcome your distraction from our distraction to bring us back to focusing on God.
2. Understand that we don’t have “normal jobs.”
3. But at the same time, don’t refer to non-academics as “people in the real world.”
4. Understand that we have to choose our words carefully, and that just because we may articulate our faith differently than you, it doesn’t mean we’re not committed to Scripture.
5. Understand that we see many terms like “pluralism” and “humanism” differently than you do (and very likely use the words differently than you do). I’ll expand on this another time…
6. Approach grad students with sympathy. If a grad student seems to drop off the face of the earth, don’t assume they’ve apostatized; they’re probably buried in dissertation figures. A warm meal is probably more helpful than a sermon about church attendance.
7. The same can be said about new faculty nearing tenure evaluation.
   
8. Don’t imply that theology is superior to other fields of study. I’ll expand on this another time…
9. If you really want to make our day (especially a grad student’s day), ask us what we’re learning in our research. (NOTE: Do not ask, “How is your research going?” or, “How much longer do you have til you finish your dissertation?” See http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=47 for more. Just ask about the content.) If you don't understand, ask us to explain.
   
10. Don't respond to a novel research method or theory with, “Well, that makes sense.” In the academic world, statements like that mean, “That’s so logical, you should have thought of it sooner.”

What else have you found to be helpful encouragement as you pursue your calling in the academic world? What have you found unhelpful?

Doubly Marginalized, Part 5: The Importance of Networking and Support

Christians in the university very often feel like outsiders in both their churches and their institutions. In this series, I take a look at the different aspects of this situation of being doubly marginalized.

I'd like to close this series of posts with a few practical thoughts for Christians in the university and their churches. I think the greatest need that we have right now is for networking and support. Even though we are in the corner, we are by no means alone. There is a growing desire among Christian graduate students, post-docs, and faculty to learn how to pursue their studies and teaching to the glory of God and to the benefit of others (the concept of shalom in the Old Testament). Organizations like the Emerging Scholars Network or Christian Study Centers are providing networking opportunities for us to engage in this conversation and encourage each other.

It can feel awkward, sometimes, networking with those outside of your discipline; it's easier to feel like you have more in common with non-Christians in the same department than you than you have with a Christian in another (even related) department. And in a very real sense, that's the way it's supposed to be; Jesus builds His church out of all kinds of stones, and we need the support of other Christians who are not like us. (By extension, that means we need the support of those not in the university, but I'll talk about that next time.) So, here are a few thoughts that I hope will encourage us to seek fellowship with other Christians from other disciplines.

1. There's a big push for interdisciplinary collaboration---why not work up a collaboration with a fellow believer, especially when a successful interdisciplinary project would be promoted and cheered by your institution?
2. How many times have you discovered the solution to a problem in your field while you were thinking about something else? Maybe listening to that Christian physics professor drone on about femtosecond infrared laser pulses will give you the key insight into rewriting everything we believe about Mr. Darcy.
3. You might actually learn something about another field!
4. We can help each other learn how to serve Christ faithfully with our teaching.
5. We can model Christ-exalting community to our non-Christian colleagues. Isn't that part of how Jesus wants us to evangelize?
6. The struggles we face as Christian scholars are universal. I may have different conversations with my colleagues than a Christian art professor would, but we can help each other learn how to pray for our colleagues.

When have you had helpful opportunities to network with other Christian scholars? How have you found it to be helpful to your walk with God?