Tree Tops and Bucking Bulls

As the leaves fell from campus trees, the bare branches of an old walnut tree revealed a double set of hammocks swaying 15-20 feet off the ground. Given my own struggles to effectively enter and exit hammocks, it seemed that perhaps the tree top version wasn’t my cup of tea.

A few days later I asked the young man who inhabited the hammock if he had any concerns about his safety. He assured me that he recognized the risk and had purchased a second hammock to create a double hammock in case one of the hammocks happened to break.

Earlier this week I had lunch with another student who excitedly whipped out his phone to show me the bucking bull he paid to ride over the weekend. I chuckled, remembering that I spent some time at a training arena in Oklahoma figuring out if I could make it as a rodeo clown. My mind was also forced to recall Facebook posts updating the health of a childhood friend who nearly died after being stepped on by one of those rodeo bulls.

Researchers comment that two of the defining characteristics of Gen Z are their fear and anxiety. A significant cause of this anxiety stems from the fact that their exploratory and creative muscles are often atrophied after childhood dedicated to risk aversion and non-adventurous play. This fixation on danger mitigation and passion for safety has spiritual consequences for young people. Two examples: fewer are willing to lead and the quest for security through money is paramount.

To be sure, I have concerns about tree top hammocks and attempting to ride bulls, neither are advisable. But I relish the evidence of young people willing to explore the edges of life. This sense of exploration is a sign that young men and women might be courageous enough to take the narrow way, trust God in difficult circumstances, and carry a willingness to lose their lives for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Carry on young adventurers, the King has need of you!