GlocalNet

OK, Jill - if you want to put a small iron rod in your eye - so be it.  Each age, each generation, each group has their own “thing(s)” to set them apart. 

I still love you and view you a 20 not a 10!  I am so excited about your future and your life.  In one more year you graduate from the University with your degree in Social Work.

What I’m really pumped about is that you are the first truly global generation from the U.S.  Yes, we’ve been global in a sense since the beginning of world history, and it increased in 1492, and once again in 1992.  For the most part we in the west have viewed globalization as exporting our economics - but it is so, so, so much more than that.  It is a mindset, a worldview, a perspective on life, interaction, and communication.  Your generation, particularly people in their mid-20’s and below, see and will see the world in vastly different ways than me and those in their late 20’s and above, primarily because of the internet.  It connected you in more ways than email and even facebook for that matter. 

So, since you spent my money to connect better with your own generation - I want you to spend some more of my money to make sure you are ready to connect even more . . . .

1.  Read the journal of Christopher Columbus from 1492 - then tell me why 1992 is so significant and in what ways was Columbus similar and dissimilar to people your age today.

2.  Read Fareed Zakaria’s “The Post-American World” and write me a 3 page, single spaced recommendation of how Americans should now interface with the rest of the world based on his thesis.

3.  Memorize the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 - all 3 chapters - how would that look lived out in a glocal context - just 2 pages with no more than 15 recommendations.

4.  Read Philip Jenkins “The New Christendom” and propose how you as a follower of Jesus in the West should relate to followers of Jesus in the South and East. 

5.  Finally, read Eboo Patel’s “Acts of Faith” and come up with 6 projects that Christian young people can do with Muslim/Buddhist/Hindu/Jewish young people to serve humanity and build bridges with people you disagree with theologically but respect.

Knowing you as I do, the fact that you love learning (it isn’t about school for you it’s about learning,I know), I’m sure I’ve stimulated your mind and you are hardly going to be able to control yourself.  No doubt, you’ll have all this done by the weekend because you are so curious and globally minded.  I look forward to reading and even posting some of your brilliant work.

So, so proud to have such an intelligent, compassionate, and studious daughter - rock on baby girl -

yo daddy