Barriers or Bridges
Matthew 23:13-26
Has organized religion brought you closer to God or farther away from Him?
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. - Matt. 23:13-26
I am hearing that people are coming back to the church. Millennials and Gen Z are finding their way to church, either by attending in-person services or joining online communities.
The interesting thing is that this movement back to church is not due to anything the church’s leadership is doing. It is due to something else.
Even though some church leaders continue to do what Jesus accuses the leaders of in his day, creating barriers to faith, people are finding their way to faith on their own.
They are finding church relevant in these modern times.
Some attribute the change to the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory. It states that changes occur in cycles of about twenty years, with four “turnings” or cycles occurring over time. These turnings are generational.
The full cycle, the Suaculum, occurs over 80 years. Each change brings with it a cultural mood, so we go through these mood changes over our lifetime.
According to Strauss and Howe, we are at a point where we are entering into what is called the fourth trn of this cycle. Thisturn is the
As published in The Critical Dictionary of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements
Historical cycles, according to Strauss-Howe, consist of four turnings that repeat for each cycle. Each cycle has thematically similar turnings, which they typify as:
The High (which follows the crisis that ended the previous cycle). This period is typified by strong institutions and social collectivism, and weak individualism.
The Awakening. This period is typified by increasing personal and spiritual autonomy of people. During this period social institutions may be attacked, impeding public progress.
The Unravelling. This period is typified by weak institutions that are distrusted. During this period, individualism is strong and flourishing.
The Crisis. This is an era of destruction, e.g., through war, where institutional life is destroyed.
However, as this period ends, institutions will be rebuilt. Society will rediscover the benefits of being part of a collective, and community purpose will take precedence again.
According to this theory, we are entering the fourth turn now, the crisis season. It will last twenty years and turn into the next High season in the 2040s.
What this suggests is that we change despite our actions, not because of them. Over time, each new generation brings with it a new approach to their world view. Few historias support this theory, but it has generated some real interest lately on YouTube and other social media.
Here is a breakdown of what some believe based on this theory.
TurningApprox. DurationMoodExample in U.S. HistoryFirst (High)20 yrsStrong institutions, optimismPost-WWII boom (1946–1964)Second (Awakening)20 yrsRebellion, spiritual renewal1960s–70s countercultureThird (Unraveling)20 yrsWeak institutions, individualism1980s–2000sFourth (Crisis)20 yrsUpheaval, rebuilding2008–2030s (current era)
One could argue that this is either valid or not based on one’s personal views of what is happening in the world today, but what it represents is the possibility for hope. The world can evolve in cycles if you believe this theory.
If these theorists are correct, we are in a phase where new leaders will emerge, heroes who will lead us forward into the next period of optimism.
So, is this why people are finding their way back to faith? We will have to wait and see. I tend to think Jesus was correct in his assessment of the leadership of the faith. They were n ot the bridges to faith in their era, but, instead, were barriers. Maybe our leaders can take a close look at themselves and ask which are they.
More to come...
For reference of this theory, you can read, ‘The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy—What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny by authors William Strauss and Neil Howe.