Jonathan McNair

Do you have a family cow? It’s quite likely that you don’t, and it’s likely that none of your neighbors do either. But if you lived in the 18th or 19th centuries, chances are you’d have a cow, a horse, or maybe an ox. You’d probably have some chickens. You’d certainly have a garden for vegetables, and a few acres of land on which to scratch out a living. In the late 1700s, there were roughly two million people living in the American colonies. The most populous colony was Virginia, with about 500,000 of those people.

Have you heard about the “Millennials”? If not, you’re in for a scare. According to Time magazine, they are narcissistic, fame-obsessed, egotistical, lazy, and irresponsible (Time, “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” May 20, 2013). In addition, they are less religious and less likely to read or trust the Bible than other generations (Christianity Today, “Gleanings,” May 16, 2016). Social critics claim that parents and teachers have pandered to them to build their feeling of self-esteem, showering Millennials with meaningless participation awards. From all appearances, they are doomed to failure, dealt a bad hand, a generation without hope. And the frightening thing is that you or someone you know may be a Millennial!

My memories of life as an infant are a bit foggy, but I do vaguely recall that my parents put a great deal of emphasis on success. One day, they removed all the sharp-edged furniture from my path, lifted me onto my feet, then gently coaxed me as I staggered across the room. Little by little, day by day, they helped me succeed in the challenging art of walking on two pudgy feet, and—before long—I became a full-fledged biped.