We were talking with a missionary at the guest house about how perceptions of missions have changed over the generations. He said that as his job is with linguistics, it's interesting which words Christians use when thinking about doing Christian work. He said the generation before us talked of "sacrifice." Our generation talks of "commitment." The new generation talks of "passion." Because passion runs out, it doesn't take a person as far as commitment. Because commitment has boundaries, it doesn't take a person as far as sacrifice.
Conclusion: I may be a wimp to my parents generation, but I'm a fanatic to my children.
I also learned about a poll taken at an Urbana missions conference of the new generation about what they see as the length of a short-term mission. Answer: 1-2 weeks. The length of a long-term mission: about 6-9 months.
Times and perceptions are changing. Technology makes time seem to rush by quickly. But in the whirlwind, there's the Rock to hold onto that doesn't change. (Yahoo!)
So very true! Thanks for sharing this!
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