This was originally published in the Friday Fax. I am publishing it here because I find the sentiments expressed so important for the future.
Switzerland: Fathers and sons together
A Christian camp called "The Levites’ camp" was held near Winterthur, Switzerland, at the end of July 2005. One of the speakers was Matthias Kuhn, better known as Kuno, a young evangelist and house church planter from Thun, Switzerland. This Friday Fax is an extract of journalist Peter Schmid’s recording of his talk about reconciled generations.
The next generation
"We often hear prophetic words that it will be the coming generation, or the next generation, that will bring the breakthrough. In the passion rising among youth in the past few years, I also sense a pain. A pain, because I really do not believe that the coming generation will bring the breakthrough. I believe that only Jesus brings the breakthrough. Jesus does not glorify himself just through one generation, but through people uniting and joining in community, people in true relationship. A relationship and unity between the generations is definitely a part of that.
A key
I believe that Malachi 4:6, the last verse of the Old Testament, is immensely important for our days. God says that he will again turn the hearts of the fathers to their sons and mothers to their daughters, to protect the nation from a curse.
Holding hands
Friends, I don’t believe that the next generation will reach our continent with the gospel, but I do believe that the blessing we so greatly desire will come when we humbly submit to one another and hold each others’ hands. I believe that the glory of the Lord will break through when the younger generation takes their place in the line down from their elders and honours them.
The great lie
We have believed a great humanist lie: we believe that we only become mature by making ourselves independent. That is not true. The truth is that the true quality of God’s Kingdom (Eph. 4:16) can only break through when we make ourselves dependent on one another. The word ‘dependent’ often gives us the shivers – myself included.
Leader, or father?
We have given the word ‘dependent’ a wrong meaning, understanding dependence on people exercising leadership, not fatherhood or motherhood. I do not believe that we should be dependent on leaders, but I do believe that we should depend on fathers and mothers. A leader desires to see the next generation continue his ministry; fathers, that the next generation comes with power.
A call to the younger generation
To the younger generation I say, if we do not return to the hearts of our fathers and mothers, there may be a few more stories and a few more books about us at the end of our lives, but the Kingdom of God will not break through in a new quality. We desperately need to return to the place of dependence on our fathers and mothers. For years, I thought that I and my generation would bring radical commitment. I made myself independent from my parents. Only recently, after preaching about it many times, did I realise that I have to put it into practice.
Honouring our fathers
I have wonderful parents. I called my father and said "I want to have a day of retreat with you". I wanted that once before, but I was also glad that he did not respond. Now I knew that the time had come. I had to again give my father his mandate to be my father. We sat together in silence. I knew inside that I had to lay down all my rebellion, pride, and the thought that my generation is the one, and say "Father, I need you."
Walking together
Fathers and mothers, my appeal to you is not to believe that we do not need you. Don’t believe we don’t need you just because you don’t know what an MP3 is. We need you desperately, not in order to use you to become something better, but because we know that the Kingdom of God can only come in quality when we walk together. We have four children; I am my son’s father and trainer. My son plays handball, as I used to. When I’m sitting on the trainer’s bench, my son does not need a trainer, but a father. One day, he was not doing well. He was playing in a tournament, shooting again and again – and missing every time. I called him over and told him to pull his socks up, get his game in order. The trainer had spoken. He went back out and shot again – and missed. "That can’t be true!" I thought.
Trust and encourage
Then God spoke to me, saying "Timo doesn’t need a trainer, he needs a father." I went to him, and knew: correcting him is not the right thing to do now. I think that is the pain keeping the generations apart in our hearts; we have been very good at criticising each other, telling each other where our place is. Friends, living in reconciliation means trusting one another. I told my son, "Timo, I trust you and believe in you." That also happened in the story of Elijah and Elisha. It is the key to God’s Kingdom coming in a new quality in our nation.
Where God’s beauty shines
If there is one thing I desire, it is that God reveals the beauty of mothers and fathers going forward in unity with their children, their hearts turned to one another. The time is ripe for a reformation in my heart. Let me no longer seek that which serves me and my generation, and how to become more radical, but how we as a young generation can seek to honour our fathers and mothers. That doesn’t start up here on the stage, but in our own homes. I wish us courage.
Source: Peter Schmid.
The Friday Fax is originally published in German by Wolfgang Simson, and translated into English by Steven Bufton. This version © 2005 Steven Bufton.