Good thoughts here. I have so many things I want to say. First, in general, western individualism seems to def tear at generational integration. Older generations don’t mentor down bc they don’t feel valued. Younger gens don’t seek out olders bc they don’t feel seen and heard. And the extreme pulling away from our parents culturally and socially doesn’t help. Second, this same individualism breeds too much solo living and silo thinking. We have pushed away people and therefore pushed away valuable advice, counsel, life experiences, wisdom, accountability, and proximity of elders. Which to me seems like a societal planned obsolescence. We are ruining our own legacy. Somehow we need to rediscover Jesus’ OG intent for his disciples and the church: faith and spiritual formation is a community sport. Period.
I wonder at how this relates to the movement toward gentle parenting and some of the overlaps in discipleship like The Other Half of the Church. I think at least in some areas of the church, especially among younger people and among those who are talking about trauma and emotional development there is an orientation toward maturity for the sake of the other.
Brain-Body Parenting is a secular book but explicitly makes the argument that the only way you can parent well with the whole body parenting that it advocates is by working toward your own self regulation and maturity. Similarly the Christian book Raising White Kids also makes the explicit argument that the only way to teach your children to be anti-racist is to confront your own internalized racism. Jonathan Walton’s work with Emotionally Healthy Activism also makes this same connection that you can’t do the ongoing work of activism without dealing with your emotional, relational and spiritual maturity.
So I think your point is being identify by a stream of people, but it has not been widely distributed yet.
Good thoughts here. I have so many things I want to say. First, in general, western individualism seems to def tear at generational integration. Older generations don’t mentor down bc they don’t feel valued. Younger gens don’t seek out olders bc they don’t feel seen and heard. And the extreme pulling away from our parents culturally and socially doesn’t help. Second, this same individualism breeds too much solo living and silo thinking. We have pushed away people and therefore pushed away valuable advice, counsel, life experiences, wisdom, accountability, and proximity of elders. Which to me seems like a societal planned obsolescence. We are ruining our own legacy. Somehow we need to rediscover Jesus’ OG intent for his disciples and the church: faith and spiritual formation is a community sport. Period.
I liked your statement, "Personal mentors have been replaced with online gurus of both the redpill and progressive-therapeutic sort."
I definitely agree with your main point.
I wonder at how this relates to the movement toward gentle parenting and some of the overlaps in discipleship like The Other Half of the Church. I think at least in some areas of the church, especially among younger people and among those who are talking about trauma and emotional development there is an orientation toward maturity for the sake of the other.
Brain-Body Parenting is a secular book but explicitly makes the argument that the only way you can parent well with the whole body parenting that it advocates is by working toward your own self regulation and maturity. Similarly the Christian book Raising White Kids also makes the explicit argument that the only way to teach your children to be anti-racist is to confront your own internalized racism. Jonathan Walton’s work with Emotionally Healthy Activism also makes this same connection that you can’t do the ongoing work of activism without dealing with your emotional, relational and spiritual maturity.
So I think your point is being identify by a stream of people, but it has not been widely distributed yet.
I liked your statement, "Personal mentors have been replaced with online gurus of both the redpill and progressive-therapeutic sort."