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Good morning. There have been a number of reports recently on Generation Z – that is those who were born between 1997 and 2012, and who are now between 13 and 28. Apparently they are less likely to be atheists than their parents and grandparents. They prioritise their mental health and they don’t drink as much as older generations. All that seems positive to me, but then, worryingly, some are unconvinced about the virtues of democracy, even ready to consider the alternative dictatorship.

This whole generation grew up with the internet, they were all marked by Covid, they have seem to have less faith in the inevitability of human progress than those who came before them. Perhaps this is why they look to a strong leader to protect their interests, rather than trust in the wisdom of the majority. Which is a rebuke – we should all demand greater integrity from those we elect to represent us.

Generation Z care about their own well-being but don’t seem to believe that they have a right to happiness of success. They understand that a rewarding life means setting priorities and avoiding the temptations to overwork, overcommit and overindulge. I am not surprised that there are fewer atheists among them, because the path they are on involves finding a form of spirituality, because there is no easy route to happiness; the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden suggests that we were exiled from that fantasy in the dawn of our common experience. What I think Generation Z is searching for is something more solid than happiness, and for want of a better word I would call it wisdom. The faiths of the world differ hugely in their beliefs and doctrines and practices, but all of them have traditions of wisdom, and at this point all of them look much the same. It’s the wisdom I find in the Proverbs and Psalms and most of all in the teaching of Christ, which constantly challenge my anxiety, aggression and self-centredness.

Don’t be anxious, practice gratitude, treat others with respect, don’t overindulge, don’t cling to things which pass. None of this is new and much of it can be found in any secular self-help book. But it needs a focus outside myself. Generation Z seem to understand that even if it’s not in traditional prayer and worship. Today when there is so much aggression, disharmony and sheer evil in the world it is good to be reminded that there are universals, across all generations, and that they are there to be discovered, again and again and again.

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