Generation gap from Bible times

There's a story in the New Testament that gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the relationships of the earliest Christian missionaries, and in particular it lets us know that the generation gap we sometimes experience today is really nothing new. Paul and Barnabas, the earliest missionary team on record, were about to set out on their second journey together when a dispute arose between them. The problem centered on whether or not the youthful John Mark -- who had been with them for part of their first journey -- should accompany them again. Barnabas wanted John Mark to come along, but Paul was adamantly opposed. He felt it was inappropriate to take with them a person who had "withdrawn from them" on the earlier visit. The Bible does not tell us why John Mark did not complete the first trip with Paul and Barnabas. But evidently his reasons rubbed Paul the wrong way.

Barnabas, for his part, was all for giving the young man a second chance. Or at least that's the way it comes across. Knowing only what we have in the scripture, we probably would tend to side with Barnabas. No doubt there's more to the matter, but we don't have that information. In any case, the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas became so acute that they parted ways, each developing his own missionary effort. Never again did these two great leaders work together.

But if Paul seemed impatient with John Mark, he was truly a mentor for the young Timothy. And it turns out that toward the end of his life, Paul asked Timothy to bring John Mark to visit him. So it is likely they were reconciled. Paul recognized Mark's gifts for ministry as the years went by.

There's a sense in which each generation of Christians is responsible to pass the flame of the gospel in the Spirit of the Lord to rising generations. This isn't always easy. Sometimes the older ones among us don't understand the younger, and vice versa. Today there are significant differences between the generations,and at times parents/grandparents wonder if they are speaking the same language with their youngsters. The world itself has changed dramatically in the lifetime of most seniors, and it is hard for gen-xers and others to relate to 'the way things were.'

But each side of the generation gap has something to learn from the other, even in terms of the Christian faith. To adequately serve Christ in our time and place, we need the insights and perspectives of each generation!