Letter From A Struggling Young Man
by Rod Dreher, The American Conservative:
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It’s extremely difficult being a young person nowadays. People don’t believe it or understand why I say this. They immediately point to the fantastic technological advancements and wealth in our society. While those things have undoubtedly made life better, there is a tremendous lack of meaning and purpose with most young people. I can confidently say that many of us feel hopeless and aimless in life. We are living in a society that promotes people to do whatever makes them happy, even if the consequences are dire.
This emphasis on hedonism has hollowed out so many young men in particular, who are now succumbing to the worst of these impulses. Family life is quickly deteriorating around us, while unconventional and even harmful lifestyles are promoted. If you dare oppose these things, you’ll be labelled with all sorts of accusations. The funny thing is, most people recognize that something is seriously wrong with our society, but either don’t have the knowledge or desire to speak up. We’re living in a society that is prioritizing all the wrong things and I fear for the future.
Originally, I went into reading The Benedict Option with skepticism. After finishing the book, I know see it as imperative. I highly recommend it for any religious person, regardless of your faith or denomination. Religion is under siege already. It’s just a matter of if we’ll be able to successfully counter attack, or step away from mainstream society to keep our spiritual life intact.
Sorry for the long email Rod. I’ve been thinking a lot about the BenOp lately. I don’t mean to sound hyperbolic, but it truly is one of the most important books I’ve ever read. It opened my eyes to so many of the problems that churches in our society face. As I said in the previous paragraph, I went into reading this book with a lot of skepticism. I’ve always enjoyed your work so I decided to give the book a chance. By the end, I couldn’t really disagree with anything. The only problem I kept coming back to is how to get started.
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