Call and Response
By Sloan Milliken
After we decided to focus on the Millennial generation for this issue of KRC, for a couple of weeks I wrestled with what to do for the English section. On one hand, I felt I didn’t have room to sufficiently address the topic—in the big scheme of things, the usual twelve or fourteen pages aren’t. On the other, I wanted to add to the discussion about my generation in a meaningful way.
As it turns out, I ended up being able to do both. At the March KRC retreat (which was a delightful time, by the way), we decided to expand the English side of the magazine to include something by each member of the Millennial ministry team at the retreat. These four articles, which you will also find on the Chinese side translated into Mandarin, give wonderful views and perspectives on what is happening in the generation, and I’m delighted to share them with you. I am also very excited to share an interview with someone who is becoming very dear to my heart. While we were praying as an editorial team about this magazine issue, my heart began yearning to see generational reconciliation in the spirit of Malachi 4:6, where it was prophesied that Elijah would come to turn the hearts of the generations to one another. In brief, Elijah was a man who called a nation back to God, and Malachi suggests that the fruit of that would be generational reconciliation. In the interview, I speak with my friend about these things and talk about his work to see broken families experience the love of God and be reconciled one to another. I am thrilled about what he’s doing, and I find it appropriate that the interview focuses on the spirit of Elijah before the rest of the issue focuses on the Millennial generation.
After all, it’s one thing to have some understanding about the younger generation and be better at navigating those relationships. It’s quite another thing, though, to be motivated by love and heart-to-heart connection. Part of the danger in tips and principles and knowledge is that we can learn to function better and with less stress but never really be healthy in our connections with God and others. When we see our lives from the reality of his heart, however, we find that health, that true life.
I used to think that reconciliation, revival, and things like that were very difficult and needed to be labored for, but I’m beginning to realize that those things happen when we respond to what has been true about the Father’s heart for us all along. He has always been for us, calling us home, and we turn wholeheartedly to him and others when we realize this. Yes, his heart for us has always been love. It has never changed. Our sin didn’t shift it, our performance can’t affect it, and our “worthiness” isn’t a question in his mind—he says we are worthy of his love because we’re his creation!
The generations were God’s idea. He could have created us in any way he desired, but he chose to make us generationally so we could experience his tender affection and favor and share it with one another. It’s what we were made for. In that regard, the Millennial generation is no different from any other. Yes, technology and culture have changed, but the need to love and be loved never will.
Regardless of which generation we may find ourselves in, his love is the truest thing about us. May he use these pages to help us more fully live in this amazing reality and experience it one to another.
Many Blessings and Much Love,
Sloan Milliken