Gen Z, let’s prioritize the gospel as we pursue justice
by Jaquelle Crowe, The Gospel Coalition.
In junior high, I became friends with a social justice warrior. She wasn’t a Christian, but she had an extravagant and sincere concern for people and was driven to eradicate suffering and bring relief. She was the first teenager I met who was actively involved in collecting food for the homeless, donating her hair to cancer research, attending rallies for refugees, and raising awareness for human trafficking, child soldiers, and global famine. She woke me up to some of these issues for the first time.
But her love for justice wasn’t rooted in spiritual realities; it was intertwined with simple idealism and a search for self-fulfillment in temporary humanitarian relief. More than anyone else I know, she lives out the dominant and defining belief of Generation Z: social justice is our god.
Generation Z and Justice
It’s no stereotype; the statistics show that my generation is obsessed with justice. Forbes reports that Generation Z is “passionate about equality and justice of every kind. They fight for themselves, their friends, their classmates and others they see treated unfairly, whether due to issues of gender, sexuality, race, pay, or environmental.” A study from Fast Company revealed that 76 percent of Generation Z is concerned about human effect on the planet and believe they can operate as a change agent.
In a globally connected world, teens and 20-somethings take advantage of the unlimited opportunities for activism on the web. We’re organizing school walk-outs, marching for equality, and doing TED Talks on child marriage and poverty. These days, we’re bigger fans of Malala Yousafzai than Miley Cyrus.
Having grown up in the age of authenticity, we’ve been taught that “we should be directed by nothing outside us but only by what we find meaningful within us. . . . denying external authority (even divine action) to follow the new purpose of ‘what speaks to me.’” As we struggle desperately to find meaning in this postmodern culture, the hip and heartwarming pursuit of social justice has indeed spoken to us.
But young Christians are especially passionate about justice—and not merely because of its coolness factor.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
