After last year, when no one predicted 2020 accurately, it just seems ridiculous to make any predictions about the future. Yet, that seems to be part of the annual ritual. Who am I to be left out of such frivolity? Here are some thoughts inspired by one aspect of the newly released LiinkedIn 2021 survey. (The portion was written by CFA Devin Banerjee) Banerjee writes about the generations and his view of how they will impact investing. I’ve taken his comments and added my own thoughts on each generation and their broader life perspective.

Millennials — born between 1981 and 1996 — are about to enter those transition years where they start buying homes in the suburbs and buy SUVs and even Mini-Vans. Like many whoo hit the 30’s they’ll discover the three truths of life. 1. Life is not Fair. 2. I’m more like my parents than I realized. 3. I guss I do have a Soul after all. These three eventually translate into the proverbial mid-life crisis, but the M’s still have time before that hits. What the three life lessons they’ll discover will translate into is a hunger for ways to explore questions of ultimate meaning. While a smattring of M’s will migrate to traditional church/temple/synagoguee, it’s more likely they will find their way via alternative communities. These will include yoga studios, social justice movements, online communities, storytelling centers, and yet to be invented ways of exploring soul, spirit, values and depth. Many readers of this blog will ask what about the church? My view is that unless we dive deep into alternate forms of community with M’s it’ll be dissmal. Personally, I’d love to launch something like WildChurch, a community that centers on a regular outdoor ritual, creative interfaith storytelling and make a difference justice work. Anyone interested?
Boomers (born 1946-1964) are not only retiring at a rate of 10,000 a day; they’re dying as well. While Banerjee focuses on the flow of inheritance money to younger generations, II think he neglcts the fact that Boomers are not done yet. They are currently age 56 to 74, and considering increases in longevity, likely to be around AND active. Some are working out of neeccisity and others out of a desire to make a difference. This is the generation that engaged in Civil Rights, Free-Speech and Anti-War movements in their youth, and they still want to make a difference. As they age, the questions of ultimate meaning are moving to the forefront of their minds. Covid19 has also reminded them that life is short. II expect some with resources will return to a life of travel, restaurants and leisure. But others will be looking for something of substance, depth and impact. Again churches would do well to engage Boomers, not just in their church buildings but also in the places where Boomrs are showing up in the neighborhood.
Gen-X (1965-1980) AKA thee neglected generation. Banerjee doesn’t include them in his short piece, and this reflects how the Gen-Xers are often forgotten, but these folk are now in positions of influence. We now have a Gen-X Vice-President elect and many Xers are in their peak earning years. Yet, we often neglect them because of demographics. Yes, they are fewer in number, but they offer perspectives that older generations need. The challenge is that many are absorbed in their work-life right now, along with helping their teenage kids navigate the transition to post-home life. The big hunger of these folk is the proverbial life-work balance.
Technology is ever more front and center in all our lives. Zoom and its variations are here to stay. Rather than comment on all the obvious implications of this for life, I’m going to be a bit contrarian and suggest what we might need is a form of digital minimalism. Our phones nd various apps re coming to dominate our lives to a degree that dramatically impact soul-work. With 24/7 digital activity, our minds have less time to reflect, meditate, walk in natural environments. Carl Jung noted this concern some 70 years ago. "All time-saving devices, amongst which we must count easier means of communication and other conveniences, do not, paradoxically enough, save time..." ~ C.G. Jung from 'Return to the Simple Life' in Collected Works, vol. 18. Obviously, we are not going to return to a simpler life, but we can create opportunities for people to glimpse the value of time - what the Greeks called Kairos Time, and II’ll translate as Grace time. One of the greatest gifts I ever gave youth at the churches I served as a pastor, was a week each summer at a camp that includes boat loads of unstructured time. It took them a few days to figure out what to do, but eventually, they lived into play, and chances to BE not just DO. That’s something we could all benefit from.

I’ve likely failed in my predictions, actually come to think of it, I don’t believe I really made any predictions above. OK here’s one. 2021 will be a lot more like 2020, but with new surprises that we didn’t anticipate.

Next up…New Year Resolutions…ugh