Standing United: Young and Old

It is only natural and self-evident that there must be cooperation between generations. The young must honor their elders, and the older generation should not look down on the efforts of the younger generation. 

The Bible teaches

• “Show respect for the elderly” (Leviticus 19:32).

• “The splendor of old men is their gray head”  

          (Proverbs 20:29).

• “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory” 

          (Proverbs 16:31).

• “You shall rise before the gray headed” 

          (Leviticus 19:32).

Gray hair is not the older generation’s only adornment. According to Job 12:12, “Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.” 

Dear older brothers and sisters, do not make the mistake of thinking that wisdom and understanding belong only to the aged. God’s Word says, “Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more” (Ecclesiastes 4:13). God does not reserve His grace for the elderly alone. While they were still young, God called Samuel, Solomon, Jeremiah, and others to do His work. Therefore, do not look down on the younger generation’s efforts. While they use their youthful energy, your energy is running low. They sing and play; you can visit the old, sick, etc. Pray for them so that God can use them to do His will. Let us unite and work together in the right spirit. God needs both the young and the old, and in the church, we need each other. 

Consider the following attitude: “And this is the youth nowadays.” Naturally, people who speak in this way have had bad experiences with young people. It is true that the youth of today is worse than the youth of yesterday, but does this statement only apply to young people? Are not people in general, including the older generation, straying further and further from God? Where can we find the proper fear of God today? Certainly, young people let go of tradition more easily than the older generation, but it is not only the younger generation who has strayed. Rather, it is the entire population. 

The following question is most important: “Who is to blame?” The blame certainly does not lie with the younger generation alone. On the contrary, the blame primarily belongs to the older generation. The younger generation’s education and godless parents are surely to blame. And when today’s young people have children, how will they raise them? Unless there is a revival, society will drift further and further away from God, and they will move closer and closer to the Final Judgment Day.

Were not these words, “and this is the youth nowadays,” also said about the previous generations? I have a book written by Woltersdorf in 1750, and in this book, Woltersdorf writes about the “bad” youth. He recognizes, however, that the parents and teachers are at fault. 

We parents have a grave responsibility. We are, perhaps not always, but often at fault if our children do not attend church services when they move away from home. 

On the other hand, there are still young people who serve God, who give their best to Him, and I am thankful for these young people. Let us, therefore, both young and old, stand together. God needs all of us, and we need each other today, and we will continue to need each other in the future.  Let us therefore serve God side by side. If you are young, then do not think less of others because they are old, as you will be old one day as well. On the other hand, consider the words that Paul wrote to Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). We cannot succeed without the older generation, nor can we succeed in the absence of youth. Both young and old, we want to encourage each other to do good works.

Otto Sommerfeld (1922-2008)