I love teenagers. They are amazing. As some of you know I’ve written a few novels, and all of them are for and about teens. Adolescents are just more interesting than most grown-ups. You see, people are interesting when they are changing and growing, and no one is changing more than these young people. As they leave childhood, where they were defined primarily in terms of their family group, they begin exploring for the first time the idea that they might have an individual identity, separate from their parents and family. They are ready to become uniquely themselves. One problem, though. They don’t know yet who that unique individual is. How could they? They’ve never been that person. They don’t want to be just like their parents, but beyond that they’re a blank slate. So they try on different personalities. And where do they get these personalities to try? From their peers. This helps explain some of the weirdness of teenagers. They declare that they want to be their own person, and then they dress exactly like every one of their classmates. (And before our adults laugh at those silly teens today, let me remind you that we all did it, too. For some it was white shirts and thin ties, for others it was poodle skirts or saddle shoes. For me it was carefully raggedified denim cut-offs and tie-dyed shirts and long hair.) And it’s not just clothes; it’s behavior. Adolescents can sometimes act like completely different people depending on which group they’re with. This is normal. They’re trying on different personalities to see what fits.
Sermon Notes 9-30-18