During the sharing session of the Deacons yesterday, we came to the problem of "Generation Gap". We seldom hear this term these days. Instead, we have heard a lot of voices about the post-eighties. This is a term recently coined by the media to describe people who were born within the decade after 1980. The idea was first put forward in a popular book 「四代香港人」Four Generations of Hongkongers written by the HKU Sociology Professor, Prof. Lui Tak Lok.
In his analysis, the first generation was made up of pre-war quiet builders who came to Hong Kong as refugees after the Communist Revolution in China. They had successfully laid the economic foundation and built up Hong Kong. The second generation was the post-war baby-boomers. They were well educated and successful, enjoying the freedom their parents gave them. They gave birth to the third generation who were the consumers in the prosperous Hong Kong. However, their life was dictated by the second generation who charted their development and gave them little freedom. When the fourth generation was born, the social structure of the Hong Kong society has become so rigid that they are doomed to failure. There are scarcely any more opportunities of social mobility. They are the post-eighties. However hard they work, there seems to be no exit.
In the recent controversies over the demolition of the Star Ferry, the Queen's Pier, the resumption of villages to make way for the building of High Rail and the debates over political reforms, the society witnesses many people in their twenties and thirties take to the street, confronting the police in a peculiar manner. Some are undergrads. Some are unemployed graduates. Most of them are double-losers (no school, no job) spending most of their time sitting in front of the computer. They rally people to commit suicide and to take to the street through the Internet. Those in power, the second generation, understand little about them.
In his analysis, the first generation was made up of pre-war quiet builders who came to Hong Kong as refugees after the Communist Revolution in China. They had successfully laid the economic foundation and built up Hong Kong. The second generation was the post-war baby-boomers. They were well educated and successful, enjoying the freedom their parents gave them. They gave birth to the third generation who were the consumers in the prosperous Hong Kong. However, their life was dictated by the second generation who charted their development and gave them little freedom. When the fourth generation was born, the social structure of the Hong Kong society has become so rigid that they are doomed to failure. There are scarcely any more opportunities of social mobility. They are the post-eighties. However hard they work, there seems to be no exit.
In the recent controversies over the demolition of the Star Ferry, the Queen's Pier, the resumption of villages to make way for the building of High Rail and the debates over political reforms, the society witnesses many people in their twenties and thirties take to the street, confronting the police in a peculiar manner. Some are undergrads. Some are unemployed graduates. Most of them are double-losers (no school, no job) spending most of their time sitting in front of the computer. They rally people to commit suicide and to take to the street through the Internet. Those in power, the second generation, understand little about them.
One of the Deacon aspirants shared with us his dialogue with his son while he was driving along Tsim Sha Tsui. He pointed to a banner of anti-drug-abuse slogan which read "Drug abuse saddens your parents". His son retorted that this slogan won because the judges were parents. This slogan won because it pleased them. But it would not have any impact on its intended target. Young people wanted to make a statement with drug abuse. They wanted their parents to be sad and mad because their parents had been too domineering! We believe in diligence and preparation. We believe that hard work pays. Learning English, piano, swimming, ballet, Math Olympiad etc. will prepare out children to enter elite schools. But our children see otherwise. They shall have none of these. Our children simply do not share our values. Suddenly, our Deacon aspirant found himself helpless. Many of us shared his sentiment.
We believe in God. We believe in the values handed down in the Bible. Our children may not. The Israelites lost their kingdom and their Temple was burned down. They were exiled and dispersed in foreign lands. They interpreted this as God's punishment for their disobedience.
To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him,
and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets (Daniel 9:8-10).
It was a prayer of confession by Daniel during the Babylonian Captivity. He voiced the Israelite's acceptance of responsibility. On behalf of the people, Danielconfessed their sins of disobedience. He was prepared to invoke God's remembrance of His promise to their ancestors. He prayed for their salvation. The Israelites had sinned. They repented and expected God to deliver them. We accept the logic of Daniel. Will our children do likewise? Will we simply throw up our hands and let God do the rest?
To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him,
and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets (Daniel 9:8-10).
It was a prayer of confession by Daniel during the Babylonian Captivity. He voiced the Israelite's acceptance of responsibility. On behalf of the people, Danielconfessed their sins of disobedience. He was prepared to invoke God's remembrance of His promise to their ancestors. He prayed for their salvation. The Israelites had sinned. They repented and expected God to deliver them. We accept the logic of Daniel. Will our children do likewise? Will we simply throw up our hands and let God do the rest?
No, we will not. We must mobilize whatever resources we have to equip our children with the necessary skill for survival --- faith in God. Even if all the young people have abandoned God, we must help our children build up their faith so that they may be able to rely on God to weather through whatever obstacles they encounter in their future. Even if all his peers have lost hope in the meaning of life, we must help our children build up their hope against all hopes in the promises of God. Even if all his peers are not considerate, we must help our children form a charitable heart to warm up the world. My sons, I have no riches to pass on to you. Our society does not provide you with sufficient latitude to actualize your potentials. But turn to our God, even if it is a minority choice. He will take care of you.
Dear Lord, enlighten us for we do not know how to reach out to teach our children Your way. Inspire our children and help them find the way. Amen.
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