Not Owning it Could
Lead to Disowning it: Neutrality is not an Option
The 1989 song “In the Living Years” captured the sense that
each generation bears the burden of the previous one. The lyrics assert, “Every generation blames
the one before…I know that I am a prisoner to all my father held so dear. I know that I am a hostage to all his hopes
and fears. I just wish I could have told
him in the living years.” The hopes and
dreams of his father exasperated him yet the songwriter was tethered to those
values and lived with regret for not telling his father so. Each generation must respect the past while staking
claim on the future. If AGWM and AG are
going to be resilient and relevant in the years to come, the next generation
must fashion their own vision or be in jeopardy of losing everything,
neutrality is not an option. There is an
ominous message in 2 Chronicles 24 where Joash, a semi-committed young leader
sealed the fate of a nation. When he was
seven years old he became king. While
Jehoiada the priest was his advisor, ‘he
did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ (v.2) but his commitment was superficial. Although he fought to have the Temple
restored, all that changed when Jehoiada died.
Leaders played to his ego and persuaded him to abandon the Temple. When Jehoiada’s son Zechariah confronted his
disobedience, he had him killed. He
disavowed his loyalty to his childhood adviser by killing his son. Then he disowned the God of his Calling. His people suffered defeat, turned on him,
and killed him. “He was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery”
(V.17-25). What a sad ending for a
passionate young man who lacked his own vision!
With the 100th year anniversary of the Assemblies of God taking place
this year, we need ministers and missionaries with a fresh vision for the
future. Our past formed us. Our values have sustained us. Now we need to own our own vision that will
carry us into the future. Own it or lose
it! It’s our time now!
