Saturday, March 15, 1997

The new paradigm: For many Gen Xers, the gospel does not compute

By SAMUEL K. ATCHISON

Religion News Service

UNDATED - A recent letter from one of my former inmate-congregants stands in bold relief against the day's headlines. Contrasting the bitterness and rancor that characterize the current "gangsta" craze, this man writes words of peace because of his faith in God.

To be sure, my friend's life has been far from angelic. A former drug dealer from the mean streets of Newark, N.J., he spent nearly 20 years in a state prison for a murder he insists he did not commit.

Despite fighting his case in the state courts for nearly two decades - resulting in a recent reversal of his conviction - his letter contains neither recriminations nor anger. Rather, as he awaits the final disposition of his case in a county jail, he exults in his newfound faith in God.

"I find comfort," he writes, "in the hunger the spirit of God has given me. I continue to hold Bible meetings in my cell. I praise Jesus often and He has actually started showing me things that I never realized or appreciated. ... In granting me this blessing, he has given me the knowledge, wisdom and understanding to know how wonderful our Father is. I'm a changed man."

One wonders if Christopher Wallace might still be alive had he become "a changed man." A gangsta rapper known in hip-hop recording circles as Notorious B.I.G., Wallace was gunned down a few days ago, after attending the annual Soul Train Awards in Los Angeles.

A native of New York City, Wallace is believed to be the latest victim of the reputed East Coast-West Coast rivalry that claimed rap artist Tupac Shakur's life last September. Given the history of bad blood between Wallace and Shakur, there is some speculation the Wallace shooting might have been an act of revenge for the Shakur assassination.

The contrast between the joy of my former parishioner and the rage of the rappers provides a snapshot of one of our societal ills.

Until a generation ago, the existence of basic moral values was assumed. One either chose to abide by them or reject them, but their existence was rarely questioned. These values, which included a respect for human life and property, were rooted in a religious tradition that recognized an ultimate accountability to divine authority.

For African-Americans, steeped as we were in the faith of our forebears, such values predominated our culture. A drunkard, drug addict or prison inmate might well have rejected the gospel message, but at least they understood it.

However, a comprehension of the good news is lacking for many in the hip-hop generation. Sharing the gospel with many in Generation X is like speaking a foreign language. For them, it simply does not compute.

Why? Because the values that once characterized our culture and guided our behavior have not been passed on to the current generation.

Baby boomers like my friend - and myself - learned of God in our youth, rejected faith as we came of age, and eventually returned to the fold.

Many of our children, however, never even learn about God. As a result, they are angrier and more violent than any generation in recent memory. It's this anger and violence that threatens to become society's new paradigm.

As a culture, we will be governed either by inward conviction or outward force. The increasing violence among our young people tells us we're headed in the wrong direction.

Samuel K. Atchison is an ordained minister and has worked as a policy analyst and social worker to the homeless. He currently is a prison chaplain in Trenton, N.J.)