Why we no longer grow up...

"We stagger through our Epoch in Retro-trackjackets and see the world through tinted aviator sunglasses. We don't believe anymore, and because we don't believe anymore, we believe every piece of junk. Because we don't have an opinion, we go with every trend and only turn ourselves in circles. We aren't sure when this began, but we have a vague idea, that it can't go on this way any longer."

This fascinating quote from a German journalist has confirmed things I see every day living in German culuture; young people with a lust for travel, adventure, experience but no character, and no plan. The author sums up the dilemma of a young, modern, upwardly-mobile westerner with this quote:

"I have everything I need. Only no character. And no plan."

We live in a world where our Spam filters themselves have become Spam - where do we orient ourselves? What do we trust? Where do we find wisdom, not just knowledge?

I meet young people here that strive from internship to internship, vacation to vacation, all searching after some kind of completeness that they think comes from being well-rounded, secular, educated, travelled, and secure financially. What I sense here as I interact with young people is this - we are ready to be done with this not-believing anything. We want to believe in something. We just don't know what.

What will their answer be? The great irony of western culture; the very secluarism which is so prevalent (and so PC) robs us of our intrinsic, God-given purpose; faith. Not the kind of nominal faith that eases our conscience just enough, but the kind of faith that is expressed through sacrifice and trust. Something we are willing to lay our entire lives down for. What one of my favorite authors Erwin McManus calls "barberic faith". The visceral, primal part of our being that longs to give up every trend, every PC philosophy for that "one thing". Authentic faith that works itself out in trust and sacrifice. The kind of faith where we see miracles.