Be Imitators of Christ
Introduction
Our readings this week were two-fold by Carl Trueman. The first book I read through was The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. [1] This was an exhaustive look at the sexual revolution, going back not merely to the 1960s but over two hundred years ago to great thinkers such as Rousseau, Marx, Darwin, and especially Freud. These men introduced the concept and the importance of the “self.” The second of the two books for the week was Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution. [2] This was a much smaller, compact version of the first book published approximately two years after the initial book came out. It was much easier to read and comprehend.
Application
As I thought about this week’s readings and the daily identity crises our young people face, I was brought to life in my classroom with my students. I have been teaching young people for nearly thirty years, and a lot has changed in student behavior and attitudes over those years. It has been particularly noticeable since the onset of the internet and social media age. I’ve noticed several things worth mentioning here.
First of all, their identities are online. They do not know how to interact with one another in socially acceptable ways unless they have a parent who has taken the time to teach them at home what is right and wrong. For instance, generally speaking, they have no manners. They are not kind to one another. They believe that because you can say anything you want to someone online, like on Facebook, you can say anything you want to them in person without repercussions. You can be as ugly and unkind as you want to each other because you can be on social media sites. It’s where they are finding and forming their identity.
Second, it is where they are forming their values. Girls as young as eight years old in second grade insist on their parents buying them expensive make-up for example. They get it and wear it to school, a new trend based on videos they’ve seen. They’ve worn basketball shorts and T-shirts in the past, but not anymore. They even sometimes come dressed in heels for an average day of school. If other girls are not wearing expensive make-up or fancier clothes, something is wrong with them and their values.
Third, they are “sexualized” at a much younger age. For instance, my fifth grader said aloud, during recess a week or so ago, something sexual to some of her friends. I overheard it and intervened. The child was embarrassed that I had heard her say it, and the others laughed that a teacher had heard it. We had a discussion about appropriate language. I don’t know that any of the girls ever understood. That they knew what that meant as ten-year-olds is very disturbing.
Conclusion
In summary, we are living in difficult times. They are difficult for our young people to navigate, for sure, and they are difficult for us as Christian leaders as well. I pray daily that I can say, as Paul did, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
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[1] Carl R. Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2020).
[2] Carl R. Trueman, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2022).
McDowell, Sean, and Carl Trueman. “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: A Conversation with Carl Trueman.” Sean McDowell. June 2, 2021. Link.
About the Author
Tonette Kellett
Missionary, teacher, Bible student, traveler ... Having lived in Kenya and Korea, I now live in Mississippi and work with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.4 responses to “Be Imitators of Christ”
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Tonette, I appreciate your insight into the next generation and the shifts that have taken place over the years. The online identity is so different from what we have seen in history and how our human brains can begin to wrestle with the shifts. Oh, and the things my daughter learns on the playground at 10 is crazy!
Tonette,
I like how you applied your learning to the classroom. I agree with you, as a clinician for 10 years to highschoolers, I believe your observations are valid ones.
Are there any other interventions that you are making apart from educating on what is appropriate to say/not say in public/at school?
God bless the work that you do!
Hi Tonette,
Your reflection emphasizes the importance of Christian leadership in guiding young people through these challenges. I like that you draw inspiration from the apostle Paul’s exhortation to imitate Christ, recognizing the need for compassionate and virtuous role models in our complex cultural landscape.
These books paired well with your project! I enjoyed reading your post!