February 28, 2022 – “OK, Boomer” (Luke 18:18-23)

“A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.” Luke 18:18-23

“OK, BOOMER” — “OK boomer” is a derisive repudiation, a bit mocking in tone, like a verbal eye roll — and it’s directed specifically by a young person toward someone older.

Back in 1963, when the term “baby-boomer” was first published in a Salt Lake Tribune article, it carried just one definition: a person born during the tail end or in the decade after World War II, when the United States saw a tremendous spike in births. Frequently shortened to “boomer,” over the years the phrase has been imbued with layers of meaning and implication. Much like “millennial,” “boomer” doesn’t merely indicate a person born in a given time or place, it’s a blanket term referencing the predominant trends, values and concerns of an entire generation.

Thus begins an article I recently read written by Nicole Spector. I am intrigued by this phenomenon and trend where a phrase gets traction and legs and becomes part of the vernacular. In my efforts to try to come up with topics for devotions that not only are interesting to read, but might challenge us in our daily conversations, I am going to take the next few weeks to address division — and perhaps find some talking points that might make us all stop and pause – before shouting back “You Millennials, get off my lawn.”

The phrase “Boomer” has become a catchall phrase for someone older who is close-minded and resistant to change. You don’t necessarily have to have been born into the “baby boomer” generation to be lumped into this category – you just have to be seen as representing the characteristics of someone born to that generation – like being resistant to change. Let’s talk about the resistance to change.

Why do people resist change? Well, here is the first of four possible reasons:

1. People fear “difference”-especially when there’s no precedent

For the most part, we are creatures of habit. We love routine and sameness. If you are looking to do something new, and it hasn’t been done before, there will be some who likely can’t see the end from the beginning. Every group needs a visionary, but merely stating your vision is not enough. If you hope to effect change, there needs to be a sense of transparency, meaning you have to show people the how’s, what’s and where’s. Clear and open communication is key.

The rich young ruler in the parable above left being very sad – of course we do not know whether he did what Jesus said or not, the text does not provide that information. But from what Jesus says next, we get the impression that he left Jesus without “hearing Jesus’ message or changing his ways” because he feared change. In his case, the change would have meant a dramatically different way of living – because he was very wealthy. But this is perhaps the point Jesus is making – our attachments and possessions begin to possess us – more than we possess them. Those possessions can be monetary, they can be physical, and they can be models of thinking, behaving and deciding. Fear can be a positive possession – like I am afraid of bears and will run if I see one. But fear can also be a negative possession – and one that is hard to do away with. This is where knowledge, communication and transparency come into play. The more we remain open in our lives, listening to new possibilities, asking questions, and remaining “…in the conversation” rather than withdrawing and putting our fingers in our ears, the easier it will be to face our fears – including our fear of change.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, you seek reconciliation not division – hope not fear – and love not hate. Help us to see beyond our fears and divisions and seek relationships with all people. Amen.

Pastor Dave