The term “Lost Generation” was popularized by Earnest Hemingway, a famous twentieth century author. He gave credit for it to his mentor and patron Gertrude Stein as the author. This was a reference to the generation that came of age after WWI. More specifically to a group of mostly American literacy authors and its generation. Post war, they became dissolutioned after the war because their inherited values didn’t match the realities they experienced and so were no longer relevant. They didn’t fit in and so many settled in France and became the new avantgarde.
Proverbs 30:14 “There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.”
In the passage of Scripture for Proverbs 30, in verses 11-14, Agur notes four generations in a consecutive down-ward spiral. The first (vs. 11) curses their father and doesn’t (or isn’t) bless their mother. Presumably they begin to disregard the teachings of their parents even to shame or disrespect.
The second generation (vs. 12) are pure in their own eyes. They are moral and conservative or traditional. They are religious, but it’s all superficial. The have no heart for God.
The third generation (vs. 13) are an arrogant bunch. They are lofty and lifted up. They are proud of their positions, education, and economics. They are empty.
Finally, there is a fourth generation. This one is fierce. They speak reproachfully of others. While pretending to be a friend to poor, they actually help to create them and banish them. They’re an embarrassment plain and simple. They are a lost generation. They may not understand where they’re going but they will not return to their fore fathers. They are absorbed with self, and their new found power to oppress others.
As I reflect on this passage, I do so in light of the upcoming elections in America, which may be over by the time you read this. The what, if, who, why, or how we vote will reflect which generation we fit into. It is always a godly, biblical pastor’s hope that Christians will vote like Christians, knowing we stand before Christ accounting for that vote. Will we put the right plight of the unborn or the elderly above our comfort or desires? Will we put the defense of Israel or our freedoms above our own pleasures, even if it requires sacrifices? Will we put the protection of our children above the perverted insanity and immorality of our day? Will we defend the defenseless against tyrants? Finally, will we promote justice and equity in our courts, our streets, and our homes?
It’s your vote and your generation! Let’s seek a righteous one.