Untrendy Truth by Matt Faust

Every generation has had questions about the meaning of life.

In the past, there was general agreement about universal truths that gave life meaning. Most people had similar ideas about truth, beauty, and ethics. These were the foundations upon which other ideas about life were formed. But today the foundations are under attack. As the new millennium approaches, many people are anxious and confused. What about the Y2K computer problem? What will happen to the church?

Today, the issue for many is not, "What is the meaning of life?" The question has become, "Does life have any meaning at all?"

Jesus said, "The truth will set you free" (John 8:32), but what happens when truths that used to be accepted as universal are challenged as if they were simply matters of opinion? And what happens when people no longer believe in God, or when they substitute Eastern religions and personal feelings for the source of all truth and meaning, Jesus Christ? What happens is moral chaos. Today, many people have abandoned belief in absolute truth. To them, morals are a "pick and choose" matter. Any value judgment is viewed as little more than a power play. As a result, Christians are seen as a marginal group in our culture, rather than as those who have found the truth.

Generation X—my generation—has been stereotyped as a careless, thoughtless generation. Instead, I think it's a seeking, lost generation. Large numbers of young people have been told that Christianity is subjective, intrusive, and irrelevant. Now Gen Xers have grown up, and many in this generation (and the one following it) are spiritually empty.

According to Youthworker (September/October 1998) as many as 60 percent of high school students use alcohol regularly, and only 23 percent of parents strictly prohibit their children from drinking until they are of age. Besides being a violation of the law, teen drinking is a symptom of teen apathy. Searching for meaning and not finding it, teens attempt to fill the "God void" with alcohol, drugs, and sex.

What they're really searching for is Jesus Christ. Jesus' truth is not a drug, yet it is the ultimate medication. His love is infinitely deeper than the superficial experience of a one-night stand. He brings fulfillment to empty, despairing souls. He transcends agendas, opinions, and manipulative power plays. He requires righteousness, but forgives our sins. Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14).

In a dying, weary world that's experiencing a spiritual drought, Christians can still reach out with compassion. We need to give grace without sacrificing principle. Wouldn't it be refreshing if we truly loved our neighbors as ourselves? If we preached biblical truth rather than airing our own opinions? What if the church were seen as a breath of fresh air in this stifling, suffocated society?

Christ's life-giving "water" can fill the "God void" in this generation of seeking, postmodern souls. It's not too late. We just need to care and persevere in spreading the gospel. God will do the rest.

This article was authored by Matt Faust, age 20, the son of The Lookout's editor, David Faust. He lives in Fairfield, Ohio, and works as a resident care assistant at a home for adults with disabilities.