Intergenerational Dialogue and Football
Jordan Peterson, Pope Francis, and Football
We need more intergenerational dialogue in our culture.
A top-rated podcast episode for Jordan Peterson was two years ago with his dad. Peterson shared that this episode resonated with listeners because it modeled intergenerational dialogue.
Peterson mentioned that people want intergenerational dialogue, but it seems more complicated now than in the past.
Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist, author, and popular figure who speaks on various topics. Peterson’s YouTube channel and Podcast platform reach millions.
There are many reasons for the gap in intergenerational dialogue.
Some propose that the gap is due to how rapidly technology and cultural shifts are changing the world and that grandparents' advice to their grandchildren is no longer as relevant as it used to be.
Others propose that the gap is due to decreased personal encounters as younger generations live further away from their parents and grandparents. The gap in intergenerational dialogue is complex and must be reduced to more than just one reason.
Pope Francis has also noticed a need for more intergenerational dialogue. On the World Day of Peace in January 2022, the Pope shared that there are “privileged settings and contexts” where intergenerational dialogue can help build paths of peace.
Football is one of America's privileged settings and contexts providing intergenerational dialogue.
One of my favorite songs is “The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney. One lyric illuminates football's gift of dialogue: “Newspaper clippings fill the coffee shops, the old men will always think they know it all.” Football, especially high school football, is often a topic of conversation in small towns in America. Kenny Chesney is right about how older generations will talk about football with one another.
Football provides a platform for intergenerational dialogue. Think of families who go to football games or watch the games on TV: often, the audience is seated in intergenerational structures. It is common to see grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, and sons and daughters sitting beside each other.
Football is one of those privileged settings and contexts that Pope Francis spoke about, where older and younger generations can discuss common interests and joys.
The next time at a football game in person or watching football on TV, look for the intergenerational dialogue among the fans.
Often, the best way to discuss the more important things, such as our faith, struggles, hopes, and dreams, is to have intergenerational dialogue through a safe platform, or what Pope Francis has called “privileged settings and contexts,” like football.
Fr. Luke Daghir
