I was confronted with this when I had just begun the 8th grade. We had just moved from Tennessee to Indonesia. Two years later, we moved to Australia, and after a year and a half, we moved back to Tennessee. Not only had this been a lot of disruption, but each move left me feeling like I did not fit in. I did not realize why at the time; it was not until much later that I was introduced to the idea of third culture kids.

A third culture kid, or TCK, is a child raised in a culture different from the parents. Berrien Springs is full of TCKs. This little corner of Michigan has drawn people from around the globe to learn here at Andrews. Many of them already had families and brought them along for the ride.

That feeling of not fitting in was not unique to me. This is a stereotypical TCK feeling. Growing up in a culture different from the parents’ culture also creates a divide at home. The kids feel as if they do not fit in their home culture, nor do they fully fit in the culture where they live, hence the ‘third culture.’

As people look at the differences between generations, with the world changing at speeds never seen before, we realize that children today are growing up so different from their parents that we see third culture kid symptoms in people who have never left their hometowns. We are raising a generation who does not know where to fit in, and the disconnect between parents and their children is growing.

Fear not; there is good news. Third culture kids can cross cultural lines with fluidity. They learn to speak both languages and although they do not feel as deeply rooted in any single culture, they can connect with people from both cultures. This generation, who has spent their entire lives with smartphones in hand, can connect to people that we in the older generations cannot.

We know that Jesus is coming soon, and we must reach people of every nation, race, language, and generation. The world is changing at such speeds that it is hard to comprehend. This is why if we are going to finish the work, we need disciples of every single age on board! We need the young with their phones. We need the middle-aged and their minivans. We need older adults and their sage wisdom. 

And it is okay if we don’t fully fit in here on earth; Heaven is our home!