Reflections 2021

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:13

I try and chose topics that have a universal appeal, because this blog is read all over the world. In thinking back over 2021, I tried to think of stories that had a common thread, and kept coming back to the COVID pandemic, but with a twist.

We are now two years into dealing with C0VID. We know a lot more about it today than we did in early 2020. We also have learned that the mortality rate affects those with co-morbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, age, Alzheimer’s, dementia and other known neural conditions.  

We’ve also learned that there have been different approaches to dealing with the pandemic, from the strictest lockdowns to a more laissez faire approach like that of Sweden.  Many European countries and Australia (even today) are forcing lockdowns while Sweden took the path that herd immunity gained by healthy citizens was the better approach.  

The data is in and it shows that Sweden’s approach was better. Countries that pursued lockdowns are not doing it based on science but on a means of control to an almost authoritarian level, even in democracies like Australia. 

The year 2021 also brought new variants, first Delta and then Omicron.  The latter got its name by skipping over two other Greek letters, nu and xi.  Nu was eliminated because it sounded too much like “new”.  Xi was eliminated because of the connection with Xi Jinping, the President of China, although to me, that would have been most appropriate given the origin of the pandemic in Wuhan, China.

While the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths have captured headlines, I wanted to focus on the toll this pandemic has had on our culture, especially the next generation.  I have written before that the real toll of the pandemic was not going to come from the disease itself but from how it affected people through isolation, lockdowns, and masking.

It also affected the elderly. Recent studies show that isolation of elderly people has resulted in an increase in heart attacks.  In addition, abuse of elders who are vulnerable has become a big problem in the United States.  Some who have had Covid have even had voice issues afterwards.

But the next generations – Generation Z in particular – have the most issues which will survive the pandemic and may last their entire lifetime.  Depression has increased exponentially, leading to suicide and drug use. Recent pronouncements have declared a national emergency for children’s mental health.  

As I have learned through my research, the next generation is not that much different around the world. The millennial in Africa is not that much different than one in the United States, so if we are experiencing a mental health crises here, it is happening everywhere. 

I spoke this morning to my friend, Benvictor Ojongmanyinkongho, a Pastor from Limbe, Cameroon, who confirmed that he is seeing the same issues of trauma and mental illness in his country affecting the next generation. He is concerned that once COVID is past, they will not have the resources to handle the ongoing mental and social issues caused by lockdowns and children out of school.

The most lasting fallout will be the loss of learning due to disruption of schools and attempts at on-line learning. Educators have realized that online learning is much less effective than in-person learning.  Before the pandemic, some 53% of the world’s children were living in Learning Poverty.  That number is now 70% according to the World Bank.

The result is that the next generation is estimated at losing out on trillions of dollars of income over their lifetime due to learning loss caused by COVID. That’s trillions, not billions. 

What rankles me is that none of these ongoing “epidemics” caused by a pandemic are factored into the public health policy decisions of governments. The fallout – mental illness, loss of learning, loss of income – will go on for a long time – even a lifetime. 

This is a lot to digest, and none of it is good news going forward. These are lasting issues for the next generation. Civilizations have survived pandemics before, but this one is ours to deal with. We have a next generation affected in a myriad number of ways who need us to step up and help them, either as parents or mentors.

They need to know that Christ came into this world to provide hope where there was no hope.  We need to communicate that hope to them. It will have eternal consequences.

MENTOR TAKEAWAY:  We need to be ever vigilant in our interactions with the next generation who may be struggling with learning or emotional issues. They may need some encouragement along the way,

FURTHER READING:

Loneliness, Isolation and Cardiovascular Health – NIH

Teen Mental Health during COVID-19 – Johns Hopkins

Mental Health has Become a Shadow Epidemic – Axios

National Emergency of Adolescent Mental Health – American Academy of Pediatrics

We Surveyed 1,320 Therapists and the News is Not Good – NYT

How the Mental Health System is Buckling Under Pandemic Demand – Axios

The Effect of COVID-19 on Learning Loss and Adult Outcomes – ULI

Learning Losses From COVID-19 Could Top $17 Trillion – World Bank

WORSHIP: Jesus You Alone – Highlands Worship

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Christmas 2021

The Mann Clan.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a ^]manger.” Luke 2:10-12

As we approach Christmas this year – a year where there has been a huge worldwide disruption in people’s lives  – I have thought about the real meaning of Christmas and how it plays out in our family, pictured above.

For many, the pandemic has prevented family from getting together in person for some extended period of time.  We have been fortunate in our ability to see each other, but took appropriate precautions as directed by my son-in-law doctor so as not to have our times together result in a super-spreader event.

Above is our Christmas picture this year taken a few weeks ago. As I look at the picture, I realize that every person in the picture is God’s gift to Sis and myself. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy our children and grandkids and every one of them is special to us in their own unique way.

We have spent our lives, first with our children, and now with our grandchildren, trying to leave our fingerprints on them by intentionally creating trips or things to do together, often with one or two of them at a time. We want them to know not just who we are, but whose we are as Christians.

In our materialistic culture, Christmas is often a  focus on exchanging gifts to each another but thinking about each other as a “gift” is a better way of enjoying Christmas.  Oh, sure, it’s nice to have a gift under the tree, but the real kicker for me is just enjoying their presence in our life.

Family at Christmas includes our extended family – those close friends that we have accumulated over the years. I spent this morning on a Zoom call with my extended International family. We met about 8 years ago while doing a MentorLink Institute which took close to 4 years to complete the entire curriculum.  

Our group includes Bami Betiku, Ada Babijide and Idowu Oyewole, all from Nigeria;  Sam Sunder Singh from Chennai, India;  Meredith Hoffman who was in Kosovo;  Sasha Pyrig from the Ukraine, and Kent Hoffman from Raleigh.

Even though we no longer have Skype or Zoom calls with a curriculum to study, we have kept up through a monthly “Coffee Chats” on Zoom. Our time spent together has forged strong relationships and bonds that are hard to describe because we have never met together in person (with the exception of Ada, who I met in Jos, Nigeria, several years ago).

Our call this morning included the family members of each member, including spouses and children. Each of my friends provided something special about Christmas from their culture – either a song, a poem or even a short play featuring their children.  

The songs from the Internationals were in their local language. My worship song below is from Nigeria and is in Ada’s native language (English Subtitles provided).   It has a unique African feel to it and is typical of songs I have heard in Africa.

As I expressed in our call, I consider each of my brothers and sisters abroad as a gift, and that idea was quickly embraced by all. We have spent time as praying for each other, and being encouragers, mentors and sometimes cheerleaders for each individual’s ministry.  It has been rewarding for me to see how our training has helped each of them expand their ministries  to do things that they had not thought possible. 

The ministries of our group include pastoring churches in the Ukraine and Lagos, Nigeria by Sasha and Idowu, respectively. Sam Sunder Singh runs a Christian school in Chennai, India.  Ada Babijide has a special mentoring ministry. She is a talented writer and has a heart for neighboring Benin. She has recently traveled there to help discipleship with Pastors in the Baptist church using our 40 Days with Jesus which was translated into the most common language used in Benin.

Meredith was a missionary to Ukraine and Kosovo and is now stateside for a while. Bami Betiku is a leader of the Navigators in Nigeria. Kent Hoffman heads up our MentorLink Institute. As you can see, each person has deployed their own personalities, talents and gifts in a different way for the Kingdom.

As you approach this Christmas, do what I have done which is to strip away all of the material stuff and focus on what really matters – family and friends.  Jesus came into this world so that we would have a Hope, and it is a hope that we must pass on to all we meet.  Think of everyone in your life that has made it so rewarding and enriching as God’s gift to you.

Merry Christmas.

WORSHIP:  Muru Onye Zoputa – (A Savior is Born)

We Three Kings of Orient Aren’t

 

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1,2

That’s not a misprint in my title. The book of Matthew details the story of the birth of Jesus, but we often get it wrong. First, there weren’t any kings hanging around even though we sing this popular song at Christmas.  There weren’t three of them, and they didn’t come to Bethlehem as shown in many Nativity Scenes. Oh, and there weren’t any camels. 

The “Kings” in the song were actually Gentile wise men from a tribe called Magi, a religious sect that were influential king makers. Their approval was needed for someone to become King. That’s important to the story because the Magi came and worshipped the baby Jesus.

But the song gets a few things right.  The Magi followed a star “in the west” and brought gold to “crown Him again” (he had royalty lineage through King David).  They also brought myrrh, known for its healing properties, and frankincense, both of which were expensive and fit for a king.

So, who were these Magi?  They were a priestly tribe from the middle eastern empire and were known to be connected to magic, astrology and diviners of dreams. They were the most literate and elite people in the Middle East.

They believed in one God (not the God of the Bible) and that there was going to be a savior to come into the world. The Magi acted as senate and also sort of supreme court and, as such, were a check on the power of despotic monarchs according to John MacArthur.

To get an idea of the importance of the Magi, we need to go back to the Old Testament book  of Daniel in 586 B.C. where the Israelites were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Daniel was made Chief of the Magi after he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams when the other Magi failed.  

Later, Daniel was elevated to the third highest ruler in Babylonia.  This is significant because the Jews intermarried while in captivity which introduced Jewish scriptures and prophesies of the Messiah to an eastern culture.

Daniel was also a prophet, and in Daniel 9,  he laid out details of the character and accomplishments of the coming Messiah. He learned the law of the Medes and Persians from the Magi and, in return, taught them the Old Testament. That’s how the Magi were familiar with the prophesies of the coming Messiah.

Fast forward to the time of King Herod who had been appointed King of the Jews by the Roman Senate. He was not a Jew, but an Edomite, which explains why he didn’t know Jewish scripture or prophesy. Apparently his meager army was off somewhere else when the Magi show up. He was paranoid about any threat to his power, so when the Magi ask “Where is He who has born King of the Jews? We saw His star and have come to worship Him”, Herod panics.

The bible does not provide a number of the Magi. Given their stature, prominence and importance, they would require a large entourage for the long journey which could have numbered in the thousands. They needed animals, animal keepers, servants, and all kinds of cooks and soldiers to keep them safe. So much for the “three Kings” in the song.

Herod has two meetings with the Magi – one public and one private. His goal was to find the Messiah and have him killed.   Herod asked the Magi to report where the Messiah was, but the Magi never returned, having been warned in a dream.

Under  Old Testament  prophesies, God would announce the arrival of the King by the appearance of a star – it’s called “His star”. In Matthew 2:2 the Magi said: “We saw His star in the east.” It may not have been an actual star, comet, meteor or even planets conjoined as some have speculated. More likely it was the Shekinah glory of God announcing the arrival of the Messiah. 

As Matthew reports, when they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  But this star didn’t occur in Bethlehem, and it didn’t occur when Jesus was born but some time afterwards, possibly up to two years later.  Matthew records that the Magi visited the house where Mary was (as opposed to a stable in Bethlehem).  

And they worshipped Him – they bowed down on the ground, recognizing the regal significance of the Messiah and Appointed One from scripture.  That’s their significance even if the song takes poetic license.  They were worshipping the true King.

Their gifts are also interesting. Herod, now paranoid and outwitted by the Magi, orders that all children two and under be killed.  Having been given the precious gold, it is not a stretch to think that this gift alone would have helped Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt until Herod died in 4 B.C.

.What do the Magi mean for Christmas?  Well, they were the ones that accepted Jesus as Messiah where the Jews rejected Him.  That’s where we are today. As John MacArthur notes, there is no middle ground. You either accept Him or reject Him.

So there you have it. A story within a song with a little poetic license, but not much. When you hear the song again this Advent season, you can knowingly nod your head because now you know “the rest of the story”.  

MENTOR TAKEAWAY: Historical accuracy is important, but even more important is the message of Advent that Jesus came for you and your mentee.

FURTHER REFEFERENCE:

What the Magi Means to Christmas  Part 1 – MacArthur

What the Magi Means to Christmas Part 2 – MacArthur

Who Were the Magi?  First Fruits of Zion

WORSHIP:  My Soul Magnifies – From Mary in  Luke 1:46

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Atheism and Gen Z

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

I recently catalogued attributes of Gen Z- a broad spectrum of things that forms the basis for their actions, belief system and habits. One area I didn’t focus on was their spiritual side.  While I have written before that both next generations – millennials and Generation Z – have a spiritual curiosity, they are coming at it from a post-Christian perspective, so it looks a lot different than prior generations.

For millennials, one area of spirituality is the Wicca movement, which is actually witchcraft with a veneer of goodness so it has a better appeal. In 2003, it was the fastest growing religion.  The New York Times proclaimed it as a Return to Paganism and then goes on to say: “Maybe there actually is a future for post-Christian America.”

I certainly pray that is not the case, by the way. Lori Shannon chronicles her journey from Christianity to witchcraft. She was influenced by Bishop John Shelby Spong who claims that Jesus was not the son of God but “was a human who attained such a high level of spiritual transcendence that he became one with God.”

I won’t even bother to take that on from a theological standpoint – it is a liberal theology that is rotting out mainstream denominations across this land. This is false teaching that does so much damage and God has a special place for false leaders.

What brought this to the level of writing a post was a recent Barna report that atheism has doubled among Generation Z born between 1999 and 2015.  It went from 7% for millennials to 14% for Gen Z. 

As Barna notes, they may be drawn to spiritual things, but they have a very different starting place. Attending church, religious affiliation, bible reading, belief in God and prayer have declined for decades.

As I wrote last week, Gen Z have become relativists with no moral absolutes to guide them. Put another way, “anything goes”. As long as they think their actions won’t hurt somebody, they can pretty much do anything they want. Pretty slippery slope when it comes to ethics and moral behavior. 

According to Barna, teens and young adults have difficulty connecting the existence of God with the existence of good, evil and suffering. It is described as a “deal breaker”.   They have a hard time trying to find a compelling argument of the existence of good and evil, on the one hand, and a loving God on the other. 

Of course, the Genesis episode in the garden with Adam and Eve gets lost in this conversation.  Humans from the beginning disobeyed God and have free will. That’s the source of evil, not God.

Barna notes that most members of Gen Z are less turned off by what they may see as hypocrisy but are more likely to say that they had a bad experience with a Christian or going to a church. More than a third (37%) of Gen Z believe it “is not possible to know for sure that God is real.” That’s where you and I come in.

When I think about this trend to atheism, I often think of C.S. Lewis, an atheist, who set out to prove that the Bible was wrong and Christianity is therefore false. He studied the bible, and lo and behold, became a Christian when he realized Jesus was real.  His numerous writings are a chronicle of his journey from atheism to faith.

For a deep dive on Atheism, I suggest listening to a long podcast titled Responding to Atheists Arguments: Why Their Top Claims Don’t Hold Up to Scrutiny with Dr. Frank Turek on Edifi. Another resource is Eric Metaxis recent book titled Is Atheism Dead? which is a tongue in cheek take on the 1966 Time Magazine cover titled Is God Dead?

In a nutshell, Metaxis’ new book takes on the premise of atheists which is that we have a “Creatorless” universe.  He also outlines why atheism is” implausible, unrealistic and intellectually indefensible.”

I won’t attempt to go through an apologetic argument on atheism. Metaxis and Turek have already done that better than I could ever hope to achieve. The fact remains, though, that this trend is not entirely surprising in an environment where kids are being lulled into the idea that socialism is a better model than capitalism.  

Socialism, at its essence, makes our need for God irrelevant. The State is to supply all our needs and wants and is opposed to Judeo-Christian principles.  The progressive indoctrination of our kids in public schools is adding to this spiritual malaise.

As Christians, we are pressed on from all sides by a culture which often is poisonous to our faith. That’s not new.  Romans 1 tells us that.

As we head into the Advent Season, we are reminded that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. We have an opportunity to use this Season to proclaim the hope that we have.   The song, O Come All You Unfaithful, selected below, has wonderful lyrics. The song ends with “Christ is Born for You.”  All I can say is Amen.  

MENTOR TAKEAWAY: You may encounter an atheist mentee and will need to bone up on how to reach them with the Gospel. Your first step is to start a relationship. That’s where it begins.

FURTHER READING:  From Christianity to Witchcraft: A Spiritual Journey – Lori Shannon

Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z – Barna

Responding to Atheists Arguments – Edifi Podcast

Is Atheism Dead – Eric Metaxis

Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case – Frank Turek

WORSHIP: O Come All You Unfaithful – SovereignGraceMusic

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Generation Z Attitudes

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. Psalm 78:4

I find it interesting to delve into attitudes, habits and tendencies of the next generation.  It helps me think about how they differ from my generation other generations that preceded them. 

The data on Gen Z is the latest generation to get researched.  We have loads of data on millennials, but Gen Z is different, or, in their words “we aren’t one of them [millennials].” Yet in some ways, they are similar.

Often, generational attitudes are a function of their perspective. Gen Z  learned about the September 11, 2001 tragedy as part of history, not current events. It also means that they came after Google which was founded in 1998. Until this year, the Afghanistan war was being fought by the military for their entire lives.

They also don’t have any memory of the tragic events of Columbine High School in 1999 where 15 people died from two young perpetrators. That event caused parents to become obsessive about the safety of their school kids. Yet it is now a history lesson. 

They grew up with terrorism, recession and other hardships that follow. Their current events have been all about the pandemic that has impacted their education and early career. This is their history.

As noted frequently, their lives are monopolized by social media apps. Millennials grew up with cellphones; Gen Z grew up with smartphones which were introduced in 2007 by Apple. As a result, they have a portable computer in their hands which they refer to at a rate twice that of other adults per day  (96 times a day).

They are more anxious than prior generations. That attribute was true before Covid hit which has only exacerbated separation and lack of normal social interaction.  Mental illness is a real problem: last year 25% of young people considered suicide according to the CDC. 

The demographics have changed, too. More women are enrolled in college than men by about a 10% margin, and they have higher graduation rates.  Nearly a third of all college students don’t have a degree 6 years later.   The latter is a crisis no one is talking about. 

According to Pew Research, Gen Z may be less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to be enrolled in college than millennials. Their life goals have changed. Millennials placed a high value of emotional maturity as a life goal, but according to Barna, 6 out of 10 teens look up to role models based on their career or financial success.

Unlike prior generations, they grew up in a polarized society, and are, according to Tim Elmore, more likely to be in favor of an activist government. They feel the solution lies with a larger government which is a reason they tend to see socialism favorably.

As the Squid Games show, they can fight boredom by turning to on-demand entertainment, whether it is via Zoom, or a host of other streaming platforms like YouTube or Netflix.  Add to that their ability to receive instant answers via Google on their smartphones. They don’t need to go to the library and wade through books or ask parents; the answer is in their hands.

As Tim Elmore notes, they are largely woke and have views about racism and what equality (or equity) is all about which may cause divisions within their families. They have been bombarded with media that tells them that traditional sexual and gender boundaries are passé. 

They are also the most diverse generation ever.  According the last census, Generation Z is about half white and half minorities. In coming years, that trend will continue, and people of color will become the majority.  

In a post Christian culture, they have grown up without traditional morals to guide them and feel betrayed by leaders. For them, “anything goes” according to Elmore.  They believe that “what’s right is what doesn’t hurt anyone”.  That is a slippery slope because everyone has their own definition of what is right or what might hurt someone else. 

Truth is now relative to Gen Z who say that “evil” is what’s stopping them from believing in Christianity according to Axis. We should take note – this is now a “shame” based culture so the concept of sin is less relevant to them. They have no guilt if they don’t see conduct as a sin.

The solution is for parents and mentors to focus on social and emotional development of this  generation. They are not getting it from their peers or from the screens in their hands that never get put down. That involves connecting with them but not controlling them.

They need help with self-awareness, social awareness, in order to develop Emotional Intelligence. They also need help to develop responsible decision making and critical thinking, which is not being taught in schools as before. 

This is a lot of information to digest. Gen Z is complex, but spending a little time understanding what makes them tick is important to be able to reach them and mentor them.

MENTOR TAKEAWAY:  If you are mentoring someone from Gen Z, take time to understand what makes them different from prior generations. It will help you connect and may be the best gift you can give them for Christmas.

FURTHER STUDY:  Women Exceed Men Enrolling in Colleges – But Why?  Georgetown

A Generation of Men Give Up on College – WSJ

Ten Interesting Facts About Gen Z – Elmore

History of September 11 Attacks –History

Ten Defining Terms for Generation Z – Elmore

Understanding Generation Z Culture – Axis

What We Know About Gen Z So Far – Pew Research

Is Gen Z the Most Success-Oriented Generation – Barna

WORSHIP:  Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) Chris Tomlin

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