Jesus with a beret and a picket sign

There was a video in chapel today that, at some point, had words on the screen that read something like, "Be a revolution", "Be like Jesus", and "Join the Revolution." As if they believe that we are young and idealistic and are just looking for a revolution to jump onto.

Well, I have a message for the church and all its para-church organizations that are grappling for our attention, money, time, and loyalty. It is also for all the people who categorize me and my friends into generations and try to define us as something that we are or aren't. Here's the message: Stop it. Maybe my frustration with being defined is something that the Gen-Y/Millenial/late-'80s-early-March-birthday demographic is prone to based on empirical research and years of scientific guessing by more or less qualified psychologists, sociologists and...others, but I'm sick of hearing who I am from someone else. And I'm sick of hearing what the church should be from everyone but Jesus, the Bible and the Church.

Stop caring about getting the college kids involved and be interested in getting people involved. Stop trying to sell yourself as the next movement and the next revolution. Do you know what happens to revolutions? They fail. People get disillusioned and cynical and they fall on their face. I have been hearing about this generation being an Ezekiel generation and a Jeremiah generation and a Shane Claiborne generation since I was in junior high and I'm sick of it. How many times do we have to say it? Jesus is not a revolutionary! He is not Lenin or Che or Claiborne or George Washington!

Do you really want to be revolutionary? Take your possessions, sell them, and give to the poor. Love people who are not like you. Listen to those who don't get listened to. Fast and pray. Help everyone. Give yourself to others in your search for God. And be faithful--above all, be a witness that God is not subject to the whims and flippant desires of this world. Do not be swayed when you hear people saying "the Messiah has come! He is over here! No, she is over there! Oh wait, they were back there!" Be faithful to the God who saves. That is a revolutionary idea because it means that all this shouting is probably a waste.

I'm not trying to knock the church for wanting to be relevant. That's important too, I guess. But our loyalty is not to relevance, nor is it to this world. Our loyalty is to Christ.

If this doesn't jive with you, I'm not that sorry. I'm sure there are plenty of revolutions that would be happy to have your name on their petition list.