How Christian love and compassion crosses boundaries
Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church
I’m a Baby Boomer. Saying that gives you some idea of my age and, supposedly, my attitude and view on life.
Boomers were known as the most selfish generation ever. Then Gen Xers came along and now they may hold the title—they’re “too selfish and self-absorbed to commit to marriage, children, saving money or a permanent job,” says Rebecca Huntley (The World According to Y).
Most students are Generation Y. Bernard Salt (The Big Picture) thinks they were lazily named Y because they came after X. He would prefer them to be named Generation R for random—which is a positive if you happen to be Y.
There’s a problem when we label by identifying differences between the generations because we can assume the caricature is reality (I can’t think of any Gen Xers who are selfish) and that’s all there is. That the categorisation limits individuals to the shape of the pigeon hole we’ve created.
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Shylock the Jew (neatly pigeon holed as the villain with the expected traits of an evil Jew) speaks about how Jews are human. Just like Christians, Jews have eyes and hands; they’re hurt by the same things; catch the same diseases.
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?”
Shylock’s point has a sinister edge, though. He argues that—Christian or Jew—both seek revenge if wronged. He, the villain, will insist on his pound of flesh (literally).
Many things unite us. We all bleed when pricked, and blood transfusions cross ethnic and generational lines. We experience love and loss; joy and sorrow; hunger and thirst. Our approaches to them may differ, but the basics are the same.
Jesus crossed boundaries with love and compassion. And his followers aren’t limited to any ethnic, geographic or generational boundaries. He can make us more together than we dare think possible.
Tags: Bruce Manners