Passing of time...and value of age!

For many of us the gradual passing of time means that we get older without realizing it until we get a reminder…be it an unexpected ache, or a celebration that has come around quickly! I had another reminder of increasing age this summer, with my younger son’s 22nd birthday. There can be a sense of feeling we have passed our best, and will be sidelined by the younger generation. It was therefore really gratifying to hear that the 93-year-old Sir David Attenborough was welcomed and hailed as a hero by the mostly-young crowd at the Glastonbury Festival. Even though he is very mature in age, he has something useful to say and young people are willing to listen.

We dispose of the wisdom and knowledge of older people at our peril. World religions as well as common humanity call upon all of us to respect our elders and learn from them. We are also challenged to care for them when they are no longer able to look after themselves. This isn’t meant to be a chore but a privilege as we learn from the life story of others, hear of their achievements and challenges, and consider how difficult life has been. I know from my experiences working in churches with older as well as younger people that the wealth of wisdom of elders should not ignored, unless we are determined to fail to learn lessons from the past. We have a lot to teach our younger people about faithfulness to God, walking the way of the cross, and thriving even in the difficult times.

So well done, Sir David….and well done those younger people who think he is worth listening to, but he’s not unique - many older people also have useful things to say. Some of the best children’s workers and youth workers are people who are older, who have seen life, and are able to listen.