Woody and I sat up at a Big Bear, California cabin on a Worship Band retreat in August of 2004. Woody had an incredibly hard job, in which I truly felt bad for him. He was replacing the eternally popular Chris as APU’s campus pastor. As we sat and I shared what little wisdom I had about our campus, the point I kept reiterating is that this campus wants someone who is authentic. We don’t care what you struggle with. We don’t care what you’ve done. But what we expect is that you will be real with us. This is why our generation (you know, the one who doesn’t have a name but is after Generation-X and sometimes gets lumped in with them) is unique. I think Chuck Klosterman might agree.

“Somehow, it was acceptable to…make a joke about a massive earthquake as long as it happens in some distant place like Iran or China. I honestly believe that people of my generation despise authenticity, mostly because they’re all so envious of it.”
-Killing Yourself to Live (Page 42-43)

I am sort of surprised that someone from Generation-X would talk about a generation as a whole, as that concept seems to be pre-modern (you know, what happened before post-modernism came to enlighten us). It isn’t very post-modern to limit an entire generation to one specific distaste. But then again, those of us in the generation behind Chuck’s have a tendency to question both the pre-modern and post-modern. Why? Because we have authenticity, and this confuses those in generations behind us even though they are actually the cause of this desire.

I like to call our generation “Generation-D” for two reasons. One, we are the Digital Generation, meaning we grew with the advent of the computer (nothing like Oregon Trail in 2nd grade). We are also Generation-D because we are the Divorced Generation. Sure, we are not the ones getting a divorce. No, those are the great, self-centered, soon-to-bankrupt-social-security, baby boomers. Or more effectionally called, our parents.

In a world that seems to be built on lies and broken promises, we long for that which is true and authentic. It is why we are more into spiritually than past generations, but not necessarily into spiritual institutions. It is why we are more into political causes, but not politics itself. And it is this evolution of politics that I am intrigued to see develop. As the baby-boomers die off (those who aren’t authentic), and Generation-X gets older (those who hate authenticity), politics is in for a surprise when Generation-D demands authenticity. The days of partisism, wedge issues, and a Washington that becomes more and more of joke with every release of the Washington Post will hopefully, soon be over. That is, unless Generation-X decides to make a joke of us – just like Iran.