[Josiah said] “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
2 Kings 22:13 (NIV)

One of the things that our company’s customer research for our clients has continued to reveal in recent years is the generational differences that have emerged in our culture. You’ve likely heard and read about the ways Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z differ from one another, and even conflict. The differences have consequences for how generations perceive, behave, and communicate with companies and brands. Our research helps our clients understand the generational makeup of their customer base and what they need to adjust in everything from marketing to customer support in order to succeed.

One of the things I’ve observed along my life journey is the difference one individual can make when they choose to change generational patterns within a family. Last week, I was doing a qualitative survey interview with a customer. In the course of the interview, the customer shared some of his personal story. Having grown up in a family system marked by dishonesty, abuse, and violence, he determined to be different. It was clear from our conversation that he’d spent his life endeavoring to live a life of upright honesty, morality, and love. He wanted his children and grandchildren to have a different, more positive life experience than he endured.

The Hebrews have a concept known as teshuvah, or “return.” It adds a spiritual layer to the kind of generational change I’ve just described. Feeling sorry may begin the movement, but teshuvah has a direction and a destination. Regret looks back at where I went wrong; returning begins walking toward the One I have wronged.

The practical substance of teshuvah has been described this way:

• Confess aloud before God, giving words to what I have acknowledged within.
• Stop the wrongdoing.
• Regret what I have done.
• Resolve sincerely to act differently.

Today’s chapter begins one of the great generational turnings in the entire Great Story. The Kingdom of Judah had been through 55 years of Manasseh’s reign, in which evil had been institutionalized, practiced, and even celebrated for generations. At the end of his life, Manasseh repented, returned to God, and then attempted to begin undoing the evil he’d led his entire life. He was unsuccessful at making any big cultural changes. But sometimes a major generational turning begins small. I believe the seeds of a major generational shift were planted at the end of Manasseh’s life when a grandson named Josiah was born. I have to believe that the teshuvah in Manasseh’s personal life led him to influence a young Josiah. Papa Manasseh dies when Josiah is six. Then Josiah’s father dies two years later. Josiah ascends the throne as an eight-year-old. From the beginning, Josiah shows the signs that the seeds of Papa Manasseh’s teshuvah were germinating and taking root in Josiah’s life.

For generations, Solomon’s Temple had become a religious carnival. While the worship of Yahweh was still practiced in some forms, the temple and courts were filled with altars and shrines to a cavalcade of other gods. It had become a religious free-for-all. Almost two decades into his reign, a priest finds a forgotten scroll in the temple. It was a part of the Law of Moses. He reads it to Josiah. Suddenly, the young King realizes just how far his people had strayed from God across the generations.

Josiah’s response is to tear his robes in a sign of grief. It’s more than just a ritual demonstration. His heart is rended as well. It’s more than acknowledging the sins of his people and the generation he’s inherited. He’s determined to do something about it.

This is a clear example of my concept of Life on Four Levels. This is the way God works. It begins when God (on Level Four) gets through to change one person’s heart and life. That was Manasseh at Level One. That person then influences those in their circles of influence. The repentant Manasseh influenced his young grandson, Josiah. Josiah is in Manasseh’s Level Two circles of influence. Josiah will become King of Judah. That puts him in control of a Level Three kingdom of this world. Which means we are at the precipice of a tectonic generational shift.

And in the quiet this morning, this brings me back to my Level One, personal relationship with God. I can’t control the generation into which I was born. I can’t control the generational differences I experience with my father, my children, or my grandchildren. What I do control is my own life and how I relate to them in word and deed – and everyone else in my circles of influence. If I do that well, who knows what God might do. And that leaves me heading into this Monday, reminded that my job comes down to two things…

1. Faithfully love well.
2. Trust the Story.

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