The title caught my attention. “How to Connect with Millennials.” I
didn’t read the article, though - maybe I should have – but I wondered, “Why?”
Not, “Why should I want to connect with them,” but, “Why would I assume
that connecting with them is any different than connecting with someone else?”
I mean, it isn’t as if they’re some alien life form, and we have to figure
out how to get inside their brains, like President Whitmore in the original
Independence Day, somehow curious but terrified of their capacity to wreak
havoc on everything around.
No. They’re just people.
Again, I ask, why do we focus on the differences?
Remember that popular saying smattered all over shirts and wristbands a
few years ago, “What would Jesus do?” That’s a great question to ask, but honestly,
it can be a little difficult to visualize exactly what Jesus would do. You know,
we’ve never really seen him in the flesh, so how do we know exactly how he
would interact, what his mannerisms were, or how he would approach someone,
physically? What was his body language? We can assume, but visualizing this can
be challenging.
(I have another approach. We have a great friend named John. Everybody
calls him JJ. And everybody loves JJ. From children, old folks, and teens, to 30-somethings,
and yes, even millennials. I can see JJ, because I HAVE seen him, smiling,
shaking hands, hugging, making eye contact, and shooting the proverbial bull
with anyone and everyone! He is a true joy to be around. So when it comes to
connecting with people, many times I think to myself, “What would JJ do?” Maybe
you have your own “JJ.”)
But whether it’s people of a different generation, color, political
views, or socioeconomic status, they’re just people. And people want to know
that you see them. They want to know that you hear them. People want to feel
important, and to know that they’re loved.
I know we all tend to gravitate towards our own “kind” (yours truly
included). We sit with the same people at church, go to lunch in our little “cliques”,
and hang out on weekends with those who make us feel most comfortable. And
there’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, we do well to choose our friends
wisely, because we become who we surround ourselves with.
But, what if, occasionally, we purposely added a little variety to our
lives? What if we decided to spend time with “those” people on the opposite
side of the political spectrum? What if we truly listened to opposing opinions,
without trying to convince the other person of our own correctness? What if we
shared a meal, a pew, an hour, with someone out of our norm? Do you think that
maybe we’d be enriched? Encouraged? Do you think that maybe the other person
would be?
So, I dare you! Connect with someone outside your normal circles!
I look forward to hearing from you!
Peace,
Davina
