I once tried an educational experiment that yielded very interesting results - results that make an important point about our culture's need for developing more inter-generational communication.I was speaking to a group of older Christians at a local church here in Omaha. Most of the folks in the audience were retired from paid employment but were certainly not retired from life with its connected blessings and duties. I opened the activities with the ominous declaration that I had prepared an American History quiz for them; 10 questions which I wanted them to answer on individual sheets of paper.
Well, you probably can guess what happened; after all, the common reaction to a “pop quiz” is a given, no matter what the age of the crowd or the situation. Some school experiences are too traumatic to ever forget! Anyhow, my call for a "pop quiz" elicited all the groans, the looks of shocked dismay, and the nervous movements that range from wiggling in the chair to abject flight from the room that one might associate with 8th graders.
However, after I soothed their fears with my assurance that no grades would be given (and no notes be sent home in case of poor performance), the crowd settled down and accepted the task at hand.
And well they did, for quite soon they were experiencing the relief and joy of doing very good in the American History quiz. Indeed, I think the results were a pleasant surprise to us all. For after the totals were added up, the average score for the quiz was nearly 90%. That’s a B+ average on a test for which there had been no prior study at all -- unless, of course, you count paying attention to life as you live it prior study. And, of course, we should. That’s one of the lessons of the experiment.
90%! Pretty impressive historians these believers turned out to be. It made me wonder what the average would be if another, say, a younger audience was to take that same quiz. And so I set that up too. Just a couple of weeks later I gave the same quiz questions to a group of 20 high school students who were nearing completion of an American History course. Most of these kids were getting ready to graduate. Would you like to know how they fared on the same quiz?
I'll tell you in a minute.
But first, let me give you the quiz questions themselves, 10 questions dealing with the history of the United States. And remember -- you don't have to compose a paragraph to answer these questions. A short, basic answer is all that's required. Ready?
1) Who was Jackie Robinson?
2) Who was President of the United States during World War Two? (Look out, this is kind of a trick question.)
3) Who was Benny Goodman?
4) Who was Al Capone?
5) What general led the Confederate armies in the American Civil War?
6) Who led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill?
7) Who was Clark Gable?
8) What was a U-boat?
9) Who was Charles Lindberg?
10) Who was Wyatt Earp?
That’s it - ten simple questions. And again, your answers need only be general identifications in order to get credit. I don't require specific dates or other details. Even broad labels could get you points.
So, how did you do on the quiz? Did you even get close to the 90% that those senior citizens did? If not, then you especially need to heed the second (and actually the most important) lesson to be learned in this experiment; namely, that the older people in our society have an absolute wealth of information about life, culture, history, business, etc. to pass on. The rest of us need to honor them, appreciate them, and utilize their knowledge and gifts to enrich the lives of everyone in the society.
As these older church members showed by this simple history quiz, they are an important repository of learning - a valuable resource that should not be ignored.
To illustrate that value yet further, let me now describe how the young American History students did, the ones just getting ready to launch themselves into the culture. Well, they didn’t score as high as the older people did...not hardly.
In fact, would you believe the average score on the very same quiz was less than 30%? And what I didn't tell you was that two of the ten answers had been part of a class presentation just previous to the quiz!
And, oh yes; these students were Christians in a private school.
This huge discrepancy should be viewed as an alarm clock for us all, one that awakens us to the crying need of the coming generations to retain important parts of their cultural heritage. And knowing the lyrics to gangsta' rap songs, memorizing the cast of Desperate Housewives or Lost, or being a "finger moving wizard" when it comes to video games, does not reflect significant additions to America’s heritage.
So, let’s start shaking things up in order to help educate and inspire our youth. Let’s be a part of the positive resolution that puts priorities on reading, listening, conversing, and writing. Let’s help them know the critical importance of investing time and effort in learning. And, let’s certainly stop neglecting the wonderful resource we have for the completion of this mission - that is, our older citizens.
The Bible makes it clear that education of the young is a primary responsibility of the mature, so believers should be far above the world in exhibiting a dedication to inter-generational fellowship. We’re singing a lot of songs nowadays about breaking down the walls --- let’s make sure the walls of generation get broken down too.
So those of you who are, like me, part of the older generation must take the time, effort and the patience to tell your stories to those following behind you. And young folks, you must take the time, the effort and the patience to hear what they have to say. We may all find this inter-generational fellowship more interesting and productive than we think.
Oh, by the way, do you need the answers to the quiz? Here they are:
1) Jackie Robinson was the first African-American allowed to play in major league baseball.
2) The Presidents of the United States during World War Two were Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
3) Benny Goodman was a big band clarinetist and bandleader.
4) Al Capone was a Chicago gangster of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
5) The general who led the Confederate forces in America's War Between the States was Robert E. Lee.
6) The Rough Riders were led up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War by Teddy Roosevelt.
7) Clark Gable was a movie star.
8) A U-boat was a German submarine.
9) Charles Lindbergh was a pioneer aviator; the first to fly solo over the Atlantic.
10) Wyatt Earp was an Old West lawman and gunfighter.
