On December 6, 1941, the father of a colleague of mine was sprinting down the University of Hawaii football field, a football in his hands, a running back for the San Jose State football team. The next morning, December 7, 1941, he had a rifle thrust into those same hands and his life, and the life he had planned, changed instantly.
There have been a lot of comparisons between the Great Depression and the coronavirus shutdown: long bread lines and unimaginable unemployment rates being just two of them. But there is one comparison that has not been made . . .
Every generation has its share of greatness. Individuals rising to the top despite the odds or obstacles to achieve great feats. However, rarely does an entire generation have to surmount those odds and obstacles.
One of those generations was the one that saw WW II interrupt their lives and put their dreams on either hold or cancel them completely. But because of their willingness to accept the sacrifices that had to be made and do what needed to be done to help bring their country back to stability and greatness, Tom Brokaw labeled them The Greatest Generation.
This year––2020––the youngest of that generation (born 1901-1927) will turn 90. At the same time another entire generation has seen their lives interrupted and their dreams put on hold. I am just wondering. Will this be the next Greatest Generation?
Already, I have been impressed with what these young people are doing in the midst (we aren’t even to the wake yet) of the pandemic. And I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. We did not learn of all the sacrifices and contributions to the war effort during WWII until much later, and even then not all. Thousands of young people (men and women) joinied the armed forces, or signed up with factories, or grew victory gardens. Whatever needed to be done, they did, without fanfare.
I don’t know what will be expected of this generation. Whether they will just be asked to wait . . . or if there will be more opportunities to act. But I do know that God does not make mistakes, and he has chosen this particular group of young people to experience this disruption at this time, for His glory and purpose. May they listen and may God bless them.
There have been a lot of comparisons between the Great Depression and the coronavirus shutdown: long bread lines and unimaginable unemployment rates being just two of them. But there is one comparison that has not been made . . .
Every generation has its share of greatness. Individuals rising to the top despite the odds or obstacles to achieve great feats. However, rarely does an entire generation have to surmount those odds and obstacles.
One of those generations was the one that saw WW II interrupt their lives and put their dreams on either hold or cancel them completely. But because of their willingness to accept the sacrifices that had to be made and do what needed to be done to help bring their country back to stability and greatness, Tom Brokaw labeled them The Greatest Generation.
This year––2020––the youngest of that generation (born 1901-1927) will turn 90. At the same time another entire generation has seen their lives interrupted and their dreams put on hold. I am just wondering. Will this be the next Greatest Generation?
Already, I have been impressed with what these young people are doing in the midst (we aren’t even to the wake yet) of the pandemic. And I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. We did not learn of all the sacrifices and contributions to the war effort during WWII until much later, and even then not all. Thousands of young people (men and women) joinied the armed forces, or signed up with factories, or grew victory gardens. Whatever needed to be done, they did, without fanfare.
I don’t know what will be expected of this generation. Whether they will just be asked to wait . . . or if there will be more opportunities to act. But I do know that God does not make mistakes, and he has chosen this particular group of young people to experience this disruption at this time, for His glory and purpose. May they listen and may God bless them.
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