Resisting the New

When I was a young boy, I used to be amazed at how much my grandparents seemed to resist the "newest and grandest" inventions of the modern world. Then when I was a teen, I remember hearing that every generation tries to shock the previous one by forging a "new path". As I arrived in my early twenties, I came to see that "new things" were not all they were cracked up to be. Now, I am in my late fifties, and I find that I am beginning to resist the "new" stuff.

I may be wrong in some of my resistance (I will admit error if it is shown to me), but one thing I have clearly learned is that the older generation's "resistance" is good for society. It helps us to realize that not everything innovative is a good thing (though many science fiction stories seem to think otherwise). It is the appreciation of the past that helps us to balance our movement toward the future.

Only when we truly see that it is wrong to dump the past as we move forward, can we truly see the proper boundaries when it comes to future growth. So here I am with a new task: I am past middle age and I have been tasked by God (as has everyone in my generation) to be the "watchdog" and point out dangers to the "new". Yes, I might at times resist "new" stuff a bit more than most (all with reason), but together we should do our best to keep that proper balance between the past and future, and thus be able to glorify our Lord God Almighty.