"Who will I be?"

I was born in 1996, a difficult year to place in a specific generation. It is either the end of the Millennial generation or the beginning of Gen Z (Zoomers, as they are called). I may be a Millennial or a Zoomer, but I mostly minister to young adults and college students who are part of Gen Z.

I have recently seen a trend where the “Zoomers” are being relabeled as the “Doomer” generation. This comes from researchers and even from Gen Z itself. There appears to be a state of existential dread amongst a portion of the generation I love and serve. Whether we like it or not, this generation has a window to the entire world. Looking through that window, they see tragic things happening in real-time. This has led Gen Z to ask many questions about their future. They’re asking, “What is going to happen?” They do not know what state the world will be in as they grow up and enter that world on their own. How do I, as a minister, and how do you, as parents and grandparents who love people in this generation, help them answer these questions?

I think the wrong question is being asked. Instead of “What will happen in my future?” Let’s answer the question, “Who am I going to be?” Who am I going to be no matter what happens in my life? There is a verse that I read often to the young adult ministry that lays a foundation of identity. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” In Jesus, this is who we can all be, no matter life circumstances. What happens in this world cannot change the truth of who we are in Jesus.

As a church family, we can help answer that question together by being present in the lives of the upcoming generations. Let us, together, point each other towards Christ, who is our firm foundation. No amount of doom or dread in the window can overcome this foundation.