Music Announcement

I just wanted to take a quick second and let everybody know that my music is now available on iTunes, Spotify, and other music websites! Go have a listen and I hope your holiday season is wonderful! Blessings in the name of Jesus

-Grady Milligan

Millennials & Jesus

Below is the first article I wrote for the Jairus Collective! Check those guys out at www.jairuscollective.com

Here's our question:  WHAT MIGHT KEEP MILLENNIALS FROM FOLLOWING JESUS?

Before anything else I want to make some things about this post clear.  To even attempt an answer to this question is going to result in generalizations of a people group.  That being said, any and every hypothetical theory asserted in this observation is just that: hypothesis.    

With this in mind, I asked friends of mine of various faiths and belief systems to think about the aforementioned question and testify about their own experiences with Jesus.  And, as you may correctly assume, many of the stories go straight to the Church.  Now, there are obviously tons of other reasons a young adult may not believe in Jesus, but I'm going to spend my discussion time dealing with the millennial and the Church.  I encourage readers to check out all the other Jairus Collective posts to see what other writers focus on and discuss (shameless plugs, right?)

For me, the Church, using the "big C", cannot be removed from the conversation of man-to-Jesus relationships because it is the continuation of the faith and teachings of Jesus descended straight from the first disciples.  On its best day, I really do believe the Church exists to spread the teachings, love, and name of Jesus to a world that's racked by suffering and darkness. But more often than I like to be reminded of, the Church is also the root of some of the most personal and real problems that millennials (and all people) have with Jesus Christ.  

On a large historical scale, a person that cares for human rights does not have to dig very hard to find portions of man's story where corrupt individuals persecuted innocents under the flag of "Christianity".  There are far too many true tales of deranged men, parading as God's messengers, destroying entire families, villages, and (in the case of colonization) entire people groups.  I think most of us, Christians or otherwise, are unanimously repulsed when studying the numerous occasions where disease and genocide fly the banner of the Cross.  

In a more contemporary setting, their are many pastors that teach doctrines of prejudice and condemnation that are far, far away from sounding anything like the love, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus's teachings.  For example, one friend I spoke to told me that she had experiences, growing up in her home-church, of being told that she was mentally unstable and, even more appalling, that her disabled brother was incapable of being saved.  COME ON!  Other testimonies included stories of money-laundering pastors, manipulative Sunday School teachers, and a general incapability to listen and respect the doubts or beliefs of anybody that doesn't subscribe to a certain brand of Christianity.  It KILLS ME to think how frequently young adults (and any demographic) experience these atrocities.  And the thing is, can you blame someone for rejecting an organization or deity that, as far as they may have experienced, might be responsible for any all hardships listed above?  Would I have found the peace and love I know in Christ and my church families if I had grown up in an environment of self-serving, manipulative, or even violent persecution tied to the name of Jesus?  Who can say?

And on a less malicious, but perhaps just as inexcusable note, the Church is often found seriously wanting in the areas of intentional thought, study, and reason.  Don't hear me saying that the Church and all those that comprise it are foolish, that's not even close to being true.  Some of the most prominent philosophers, scientists, writers, and activists in man's history were devout believers in Christ.  But, that being said, I do think people often wonder, "Where did those Christians go?"  Far too many thoughtful, wise, and socially conscious young adults are surrounded by Christians that seem almost afraid to ask important questions.  I know many friends that, when trying to discuss scientific discovery or difficult passages of scripture, face regular evasion or even scolding from close-minded believers, almost as if fear prevented the Christians from uttering taboos they made for themselves.  I know very well, from pretty fantastic experiences I've had, that there are still MANY Christians of varying doctrines that hold vast wealths of intelligence.  But in places like my backyard bible-belt, there is a disappointing percentage of Jesus followers that are almost illiterate when in comes to modern philosophy or EVEN THE BIBLE THEY CLAIM TO PROTECT!  It does make one yearn for more C.S. Lewis's writing ridiculously dense examinations of man and faith while still believing in mysterious things like God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I can find no way to fault anyone for being doubtful of the legitimacy of the Gospel when it's proponents sound like ignorant fools in a world of enlightenment, in fact I feel the need to apologize pretty frequently.

Lastly, and even when the Church around a person is intelligent AND compassionate, there is often a massive hole in the showing-people-Jesus-is-real-and-tangible-by-actually-doing-any-of-the-things-He-said-believers-can-do department.  It's important to me that you know I'm not talking about famous televangelists knocking hundreds of people over for profit here, the Spirit isn't a tool to use in a con and I believe it's unwise to be such a manipulator.  BUT, I do think that Jesus told the believers to be bold and seek opportunities to help a hurting world and that sometimes, and more often than many agree with, the miraculous is what is needed most.  This may be the part where I lose readers, but I personally testify to the reality I've seen of prayer healings, messages someone needed to hear coming straight from prayer, and Jesus speaking to people in pretty crazy ways.  And yes, I've also seen my fair share of people doing their own thing while claiming to be following God's will.  The point is, if the more spiritual, mysterious, and unexplainable aspects of Jesus (which are not more important than good teaching and social action) were properly and more frequently talked about or acted upon, there could be (at the very least) more for the jaded, bored, and simply skeptical to at least talk about.  More simply, it's harder to ignore a prophetic word or cured deadly disease than it is to ignore empty words and hearsay. 

Perhaps, because most churches and pastors I know are wonderful and compassionate and I don't want this to be a church-bashing post, it would be best to just lump all of these types of negative interactions and call them"FAILURES OF THE CHURCH".   I am painfully far from perfect and there may be people farther from Jesus than when I met them, and that is, maybe, more convicting than anything. It is an unfortunate reality that, even though most of us Christians believe Jesus to have been perfect, the humans that make up the Church are flawed and often fall short in the radical love and relationship department.

There are TONS of other things that could and should be written about within this discussion.  It's outside of the time I have and, honestly, the number of perspectives and people I've talked to and lived with thus far.  Millennials are a strange, entrepreneurial, and active demographic.  We are very convicted about what we believe and feel a need to better ourselves and our community.  Faith, no matter what culture or age-group it's affecting, is incredibly difficult to unravel mathematically or empirically and I'm probably not the guy to attempt it anyways.

I do want to issue a challenge to any believers reading.  Many of the variables I mentioned above are beyond your control and people will believe what they believe.  But I DO BELIEVE, with intense conviction, that Christians are charged with living and loving in such a way that anyone that comes in contact with them will see a genuine, radical something within the believer that brings healing, understanding, and hope in a very dark world.  I believe, with all my millennial heart, that that something is Jesus Christ.  

Thanks for reading and please talk, pray, or yell at me at grady.milligan@gmail.com, my blog gradymilligan.blogspot.com, or just on good ole' Facebook at facebook.com/gradymilligantunes 

Blessings and Peace,

Grady Milligan