The kids are back in school. Some features of their world are familiar to older generations: the joy of seeing returning friends, the awkwardness of meeting new people, homework. Much of their world is foreign to parents and grandparents: familiar words with different meanings, social norms that might prompt eye rolls from old people, technology, security. I think navigating childhood has always been a challenge. From the book of Proverbs through Dickens novels to modern sitcoms, kids face comforts and dangers, help and confusion, kind people and others.
Intergenerational relationships, when they work well, are win-win deals. Kids can get help with homework; older people can get help with their mobile devices. Most importantly, when different generations learn more about each other’s worlds and experiences, everyone gains perspective and a fresh approach to navigating their own circumstances. Kids can pick up encouragement and resilience from knowing adults in their lives once faced childhood challenges of their own. Adults can see young people as human beings facing life in their own way. Both kids and adults can gain a stronger sense of worth and hope from better understanding and caring for each other.
It’s good to help strangers and care about friends and neighbors. Sometimes, loving our neighbor might mean the people closest to us. And sometimes, the most valuable demonstration of that love isn’t money or a trip to Disney World. Make an opportunity to just have a little chat with a young person in your life. Ask what words they use to say someone is good-looking or something is popular. Find out what they look forward to at school and what they dread. Share what you remember fondly and what you regret from when you were their age. If a young person in your life isn’t nearby, write them a card or letter. Getting snail mail is a big deal to them!
Faith Along the Way: Add Value
Roger Federer won 20 Grand Slam tennis titles in his career, a record at the time. In a graduation speech at Dartmouth in 2024, Mr. Federer shared life lessons from his tennis career to help these new graduates succeed in the next phase of their lives. First, “effortless is a myth”. You don’t progress without doing a ton of work, much of it personal.
Roger was a hot-headed teen with great talent when he realized self-discipline was going to be as valuable a skill as his graceful, killer backhand. What appeared to the public as an effortless master class of tennis when Roger took the court was the result of thousands of hours of very hard work in advance.
Second, “it’s only a point”. While he won 80% of his matches (can you imagine a career winning percentage like that?!), he lost 44% of the total points played. That’s almost half! You will not win every time, but you can learn from each effort and then keep going. Third, “life is bigger than the court”. Obviously, that lesson doesn’t mean the tennis court wasn’t important to Roger. For some players, tennis is their world and they struggle apart from it. For Roger, growing as a person who cares about others and helps make the world a better place was, and still is, what life is about. Having that focus not only kept tennis in a healthy perspective, it allowed Roger to pursue other interests with the same focus as he retired from the pro tour.
Within the Bible, learning God’s instructions is basic training. If you don’t even know you’re supposed to honor your father and mother or respect other people’s property, good luck. Real work is practicing those instructions. The Bible shouldn’t be just memorized, it should be lived (Matthew 19:16-17). Every day, every play. We won’t get it right every time on this side of heaven. Learn from the failures and keep working at the growth (Philippians 3:13-14). Always remember the goal and check how the parts of your life fit that goal (Romans 13:8-10). You’d be surprised at how much mileage you can get from going into situations throughout the day thinking, “Love God, love these people”.
Mr. Federer’s lessons from his tennis career provided valuable guidance to those graduates. Who knows what valuable blessings your persistence in living faithfully will provide to this world?
Dr. Carl Grosse is an ordained pastor and the author of Faith Along the Way, a weekly reflection for KnoxTNToday that encourages readers to discover God’s presence in everyday life and share His love with others.
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