Pacifica Stories

With the globe in the palm of their hands, our young adults have access to anything and everything. They can know what’s going on at the border, in the streets of New York City, or in Palestine, Haiti, Afghanistan, and their hometown. The news cycle is 24/7. They are expected to be up to date on international politics, community policing, gender discussions, climate change, crime, abortion, drugs, sex trafficking…everything. This, combined with their social media platforms, has created a new pressure: the pressure to comment, post, post correctly, take a stand, and take the proper stand. Not posting is not an option. Posting the wrong thing can be devastating. Our kids are expected to know what’s going on at all times and to have an opinion. It is all simply too much to take in. It is exhausting. 

We have prehistoric nervous systems, medieval institutions, and godlike technology. Something’s got to give.

We are not made to live this way. We are not built to run this race, to care this much, to see this much, or to bear the burdens of the world. The mental and emotional stress is overwhelming. Let’s pause and back up. I want to give our kids permission to love their neighbors—their actual neighbors, the person living next door, down the block, and in their class. Let’s bear the burdens of a childhood friend and a younger sibling. Let’s save some time for Mom and Dad, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and others in their immediate circle. Let’s take a deep breath and stop. We can’t save the world. That is God’s job. We can listen to those around us, show up in key moments, and fight for our families and neighborhoods. 

The world is far too large. We need to make it smaller.

Global initiatives, movements for justice, pandemics, and the suffering of others outside of our circle are important. We should know and care about them. However, there is a balance. At no time in the history of the world have we been this interconnected, with this much access. There is more to care about than we can handle. 

Causes and politics are not meant to be our God. God is. Let’s be judicious and dig deeply into those around us while finding a few things we can advocate for. Let’s reduce the noise, reduce our worlds, and make a significant impact in a few areas rather than scratching the surface in all areas.

At home, talk about something else. Watch what we bring up around the house. My kids get stressed when I overindulge about the issues of the day. “Dad, can you change the channel?” they frequently utter. Let’s not center our living rooms on CNN, Fox News, the New York Times, or Twitter.

Put your phones away when others are in the same location. That is our rule. There is plenty of alone time to search and scroll. Let’s not make that our together time.

By Jim Knight, Head of School