A Great Generation?

After a very busy few weeks, I am back. Synod was good, Covfamikoi was good, and the recovery from both has been good. Praise God. Now, what to write about of significance...well, you can decide if it is of significant or not.

Here is at least one musing I've had recently upon which I would be interested to hear your feedback:

For a long time people have been talking off and on about the impact that the homeschool generation will have on our culture. Well, it's here...I was somewhere near the leading edge of those who graduated having spent all or at least most of their school years at home. This year was my ten-year class reunion. I barely recognized the guy in my class at the reunion. But I digress...there are now large numbers who have been out of college for a number of years, some with advanced degrees and so forth…so we might ask what has been the impact. My short answer is, let’s wait about fifty years and see.

The WWII generation has been labeled as the greatest generation, and while the superlative nature of that label may be a bit much, there is no doubt but that it was a great cultural force. I still think of the Class of ’50 Lecture Hall at Purdue that opened, thanks to the generosity of that class, just before I arrived on campus. The plaque on the wall of the second level lists the names of the many who gave. As a class, they were amazingly influential and prosperous in their careers, and were thus able to give in unprecedented ways. But they never thought of themselves as a great generation, or even as a great cultural force – they were just a bunch of GIs who knew that they had the opportunity to study and work once the war was over. And work they did. They poured enormous sweat equity into the businesses they built and communities they created. Fifty-plus years later we see that they were a great force – even if there was a significant spiritual component that was lacking in far too many cases.

It strikes me that homeschoolers have perhaps heard a few too many times what a great cultural influence they will be. And the group may be. However, perhaps as a result of lavish praise from those encouraging homeschool parents at homeschool conferences over the years, some expect to be promoted to positions of leadership and influence without pouring in the sweat equity and discipline necessary to gain the good name and experience required to achieve such lofty goals. It seems to me that perhaps the homeschool generation needs to take a bit more of the mindset of the GIs returning from WWII and realize that all we have been given is the opportunity to work hard before the Lord one day at a time. Will this generation be a cultural force? In fifty years we will be able to look back and see how many have earned the respect of the world by building successful businesses, powerfully influencing educational institutions, impacting the entertainment industry, politics, and of course the church. Certainly, there is a biblical spiritual dimension that should be build into everything as Christians do that may in many cases sour the world’s view of us. But if the homeschool movement is as powerful as has been advertised that it could be, we will see it in the culture.

A true evaluation cannot really be rendered for many years. For now, those who are part of this informal movement only have the opportunity to wake up each morning and serve the Lord with fear and gladness, pouring their sweat equity into their calling. Time will tell if it truly is a great generation or just a generation that thought it would be great.