There’s a kinetic energy to the year 2008. Two years away from accomplishing our first decade as millennials, my generation has gone from Sesame Street, to personal computers, to compact discs, to laser discs, to internet, to DVD’s, to mp3’s to iPods, to streaming video and more.

Yet there’s this beautiful paradox invading this culture, something so profound, so full of depth and hope that it cannot be ignored. My generation has a fascination with history. We possess an unprecedented cultural compass enabling us to recognize what is passing and what is timeless.

Now there will always be Top-10 radio with programmed hooks and profound themes like “I kissed a girl and I liked it.” But delve just a hair deeper into the virtual shelves of iTunes’ music store and you’ll find successful artists like “My Morning Jacket” and Amos Lee who communicate through vintage instruments and timeless stories. While digital production has allowed for minutely close simulations of rock’s foundational sounds such as Fender Rhodes, Hammond organs, and vintage tube amps, a real musician knows there’s still nothing quite like the real thing. Many of these artists are choosing not to use digital enhancers for their vocals or productions in order to offer a more authentic recording to their audiences…and that takes guts.

In a world where the digital revolution offers you everything at your fingertips, authenticity is a deliberate and often challenging choice.

The mere truth that artists are starting to release lucrative vinyls again in addition to their CD and digital distributions is a sign that millennials may not seek a post-modern, instant gratification lifestyle as much as the previous one did.

I think there’s a genuine desire to hold on to what’s good, what’s true… things that withstand the test of time. While teens growing up in the 70’s probably tuned out their parents’ Sinatra records and embraced the Who, in 2008, we’re embracing the impact of Sinatra, the Who, and Coldplay.

What an amazing time to be a follower of an ancient faith. This longing for things that are constant, timeless, unwavering goes far beyond the pop culture wars. In my many conversations with students, there is a deeper desire to be loved and somehow learn how to love…authentically…. concretely…above the realities of their parents’ and heroes’ divorces, addictions, and secrets.

Take the movie “Juno” for example. One of the title character’s most telling quotes is as follows:
“I'm losing my faith in humanity…I just need to know if it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.”

Our culture isn’t just looking for the next quick fix, the next bright piece of eye candy. Beyond the technology and entertainment revolution lies a revolution for authentic salvation, a faith that doesn’t fade with the pop trends, whose people portray an honest, sometimes off-pitch story to a culture in desperation for truth.