Day: February 12, 2021

“I have been young, and now am old …”

David, the Psalmist, penned those profound words while reflecting on a life of countless blessings. For those of us stuck somewhere between young and old, there’s also much to be thankful for, including the opportunity to serve as a bridge between generations.

I am Alva James-Johnson, a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Southern Adventist University. As the co-instructor for our Interactive Journalism class, it’s my job to guide and mentor students as they develop their abilities to make sense of the world around them and utilize their communication skills to transfer information and knowledge to others.

I also realize that as a middle-aged Gen Xer, the way that I see the world may be very different from that of my Millennial students, in the same way that some of my views differ from those of my parents who are part of the Silent Generation.

Yet, every generation shares the same thirst for truth, purpose and meaning. Therefore, it takes older generations gently guiding younger ones through the complexity of life to help fill in the gaps. I believe we will all arrive safely if God is, ultimately, our guide.

As a fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist who raised two fifth-generation Adventist young adults in the post-modern age, I recognize the pitfalls that exist on that journey. Therefore, I consider myself a bridge between those who went before me and those coming behind.

Transfering religious beliefs from one generation to the next is tricky business, and I suspect my students will experience the same dilemma when it’s their turn to pass on the baton.

But what will the Seventh-day Adventist denomination look like at that time? How will the core beliefs be different or the same? What are the shifts taking place right now that could affect what it means to be an Adventist for future generations?

I look forward to learning from my students as they explore the generational divide, and I invite you to join us!

Hi! My name is Josue Vega. I’m 22 years old and a third-generation Seventh-day Adventist Christian from Puerto Rico. I currently study mass communication with an emphasis in media production at Southern Adventist University. I love any sort of art that involves storytelling—films, books, dance, and music. 

Here’s another thing about me: I’ve always relished a good secret. Whether it was for the power it made me feel like I had, or for the delicious feeling of being in the know, I was always intrigued to find out what happened behind the scenes of everyone’s life. Knowing what was going on behind the stiff, smiling masks of so many felt like an intimate connection, and I basked in that feeling whenever I got the chance.

It didn’t take me long to find out, however, that not everyone felt the same way about secrets.

 “Keep that under wraps, you don’t want to ruin their reputation,” is a sentence that many of us heard growing up, and I was no exception. 

It was the go-to warning statement from adults who knew they had said too much in front of little ears and wanted to keep the situation controlled. Of course, this was often hard for us younger ones because we longed to investigate the secret and announce our discoveries. 

As we grew older, however, we realized that some secrets were not just disappointing to keep, but dangerous. And many of us felt like they had to be revealed.

But does this discrepancy between the generations extend to how the Seventh-day Adventist church handles its secrets? Is the old stereotype of the older saints desperately dragging secrets into the shadows in order to preserve the church’s reputation, while the younger generation claws them into the light, a true one? 

And what happens behind closed doors, when shocking untold stories come to light or taboo topics are breached? Is there a difference in beliefs between the generations over how such matters should be handled? I’ve heard a great number of secrets in my time. I’ve also seen how they’ve been handled by different generations, either to their benefit or destruction. 

So, let’s investigate some church taboo subjects together, and hopefully, we can learn a lot from them. At the very least, we can learn from the damages that have been caused to our denomination. Let’s do some detective work together, shall we?