The young and the generous

Some sociological studies suggest that today’s young adults are selfish, greedy and narcissistic. Marketers and advertisers use this stereotype; they understand the enormous persuasive power of transforming wants into needs and legitimizing the fulfilling of every want. They’ve done this before, with the Me Generation and slogans like “This Bud’s for You,” “Do Yourself a Favor Today” and the bumper sticker: “The One Who Dies with the Most Toys Wins.” The latter phrase provided a wealth of sermon fodder at stewardship time, and I used it generously.

But the young adults I know don’t fit this stereotype. My own children and their friends were anything but greedy and selfish as young adults. What I saw and continue to see among this generation are thoughtful people who are generous and committed to social justice.

When I arrived at the church I served in Chicago, I inherited a program that shaped my views of young adults. The church pairs a needy youngster with a volunteer tutor for an hour and a half of academic study once a week. The program grew from 75 children and young people to nearly 500, and most of the tutors have been young adults; in fact, many are young lawyers, bankers, brokers and doctors. They hear about the program through friends and social networks, decide to volunteer and become superb tutors. In many cases, significant relationships develop, some of them lifelong.