History is full of stories where cultures clash and also of stories of arrogance, one culture disregarding the culture of another. Unfortunately Christian missionaries have often been to blame, where in their arrogance they have treated indigenous culture as if it had nothing to offer. But I have been thinking that you do not have to go overseas or into the past to see examples of such arrogance... it happens between generations in our own society.
We have an older generation who lived much of their life during the relatively settled 50s, 60's and 70's. (Last century that is) Many of these are struggling in this fast changing world where the technology makes the world so small and keeps changing everything around them. They cannot get used to talking to an Indian, in India on the help desk call centre. They feel that the world has gone "P.C. mad," (i.e. Politically Correct... not computers) They do not understand terms like "facebook", "blog", "Google" and "twitter" and they are suspicious of people who surf the net. According to these older people, those who indulge in things like "facebook", "blogging", "Google" and "twitter" are wasting their time. (though they themselves may spend hours watching rubbish TV.) They rave on about the days when "we were young" and kids played real games, and a "good smack never did them any harm". They do not see why they have to retrain to keep up with technology, and they are often resistant to change. They automatically see it as destructive. Often these people are inflexible, nostalgic for the way things were, and arrogant toward younger ones who see the world differently. The younger ones, as far as they are concerned, need to grow up or conform. These older folks do not see the validity in the different world view of post-modern people, it is an aberration that they should grow out of. Often however, these older folks are the more consistent volunteers in any group. Often too it is these folk who, if you are involved in street appeals, you will notice give more generously, while younger ones will keep walking. (It could be that we need eftpos or credit card facilities for younger people?)
Then we have the younger computer literate people. They welcome every new advance in technology. They interact with people throughout the world. They seem to live for the present and often seem self absorbed. These people enjoy change, and will have several career changes in a life time. They will lead more mobile lives than the older ones, and are impatient with the small world-view the older folks seem to have. They will commit to projects, but seldom commit in any long term way to an organisation. They look at the older folks and feel that because of their lack of savy in the modern world they are "past their used by date" and have nothing significant to offer. It feels like they see themselves as really superior to the older ones. They fail to see that it is these earlier generations who have established the infrastructure that has allowed them to build their lives.
Often in workplaces, churches and clubs these two different groupings just tolerate each other. It feels like they live in two different worlds and each group has an arrogance where they think of the others as having little to offer. I know of organisations that when the young ones begin to have power, the older ones tend to leave, the new world view is difficult for them to cope with. I recall on the last local Habitat for Humanity job, some of the younger ones were asking sustainability questions and "Why do you do it that way?" questions, that older folk found intrusive and arrogant. I know of younger people who are immediately put off organisations where there are all those "grey heads" around.
Where do I fit? At sixty one years of age, with snow white hair, I guess I fit into the "olds" category, but I don't feel it. I have just jogged 9.5k which many 61 year olds would not attempt. I am not as computer/internet literate as I would like to be, but again, more so than many my age. I still feel young and as if I am still learning and adventuring in life. (Younger folk may look at me and say the opposite... "Silly old coot, likes country music!") ... I don't know exactly where I fit in. I do often feel like I am in between. I get frustrated with the arrogance of each group. I find many people my age to be old before they should be. They have let themselves stagnate, and have stopped adventuring. But I find many of the younger folk to be incredibly arrogant, inconsistent and lacking patience with my generation of people. On the other hand, the inflexibility of some of my generation frustrates me. One friend I was talking to about life/sustainability/male-female roles type issues, (She would be in the younger group) had a term for me. She said I was a "transition person". I wish we could all be more tolerant and try to see the world through each other's eyes.
Today I was encouraged. We have had a younger guy (mid thirties I guess) start coming to church. He helped at the Christmas dinner and has attended church regularly over the last month or so. He is going about the process of improving his life and we are one step on the way. I was talking to him today and I was in a sense apologising that we were generally an "aging" congregation. He replied, "Yes that's what I thought when I first started to come. But then I thought, well hey, what a heap of a lot of life experience there is to learn from." I liked that... it showed wisdom, humility and tolerance. May it flow both ways more often than it does.
Photo: Two little figures that stand on the dashboard of my van. They perhaps symbolise the two subcultures. The troll (he used to have pants on) I purchased in the late 1960s. He used to hang from the rear view mirror of my first car a 1938 Austin 12. He has been in many cars since. The "Star Trek" doll I found on the road during a recent run. If you push a button on her back she says, "Captain, we're being hailed!" Such technology was not available for the cute but silent troll.
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