The Friday Update - Median Ages

November 21, 2025

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God.”
Hebrews 10:19, 22a

 

Happy Friday,

 

After skyscrapers, sedans and social media, a first century Jew would be most shocked by our 21st century approach to God. Indeed, they would be scandalized. In their day, the High Priest was the only one allowed into God’s presence — and that only once a year. Jesus changed that. And because we are in Him—and because He has ascended into the Father’s presence—we can have confidence to draw near to God. You can even do so right now. Perhaps you should. (You can reopen TFU later.) 

Without Comment

1) YouVersion’s Bible App has now been installed on more than 1B devices.

2) By measuring pupil dilation, scholars have shown that holding hands can lower stress.

3) Per this YouGov poll, 96% of Ds, and 68% of Rs, believe the rich have too much political power.

4) Several are predicting that ‘26 will be the worst college grad job market in 5 yrs.

5) 83% of K-12 teachers endorse smartphone bans.

6) Per this report, 25% of US teenagers admit to viewing pornographic content during the school day.

7) In this article (behind paywall), Ryan Burge shows that mainline clergy are significantly more liberal than the laity attending the churches they lead.

A Living Metaphor

This local story—about two bald eagles that fell from the sky because they had locked each other in a death grip—shows how much smarter we are than animals. We’d never act this irrationally.

The Median Age

For those using Snapchat = mid-twenties; for viewers of TikTok = 35; for those on Facebook = 40; for those reading the WSJ (digital) = 43; for those subscribing to the NYT = 52; for those watching MTV = 56; for those reading the WSJ (paper) = 63; for those viewing FOX = 69; and for those viewing MSNBC = 70. (Those watching FOX have the remote in one hand and their blood pressure meds in the other. Those watching MSNBC are just like them but also have an NPR Tote Bag.)

As Background

As of 2025, the median-age in the US is 39.1, up from 37.8 ten years ago, and up from 25.3 one hundred years ago. At present, the median-age in Brazil is lower (34.7), Canada is higher (42.4), China is higher (40.1), India is lower (29.5), Russia is higher (41.5); South Korea  is higher (45) and Nigeria is lower (19.2). FWIW, Monaco has the highest average age at 54.2. And Niger is the youngest at 15.2.

Quotes Worth Re-Quoting

1) "Truth becomes hard if it is not softened by love; love becomes soft if it is not strengthened by truth." — John Stott

2) “Good habits stockpile ease. Bad habits postpone pain.” — James Clear

3) “Unity is easy if you don’t care about holiness. And holiness is easy if you don’t care about unity.” — N.T. Wright

4) "If you think you're smarter than the previous generation, consider this: Fifty years ago, the owner's manual of a car showed you how to adjust the valves. Today, it warns you not to drink the contents of the battery" — Derek Thompson

5) “I don’t believe in God, but I miss him.” — Julian Barnes

WOTW

Honorable goes to low-key, which is now common among the under 20 crowd. (It means “sort of but not publicly” as in “I’m low-key excited about T-Day.”) Full honors go to parasocial, which The Cambridge Dictionary recently selected as their WOTY (Word of The Year). It refers to “the connection people feel with someone they don’t know, or even with an artificial intelligence.” It was coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, who wanted to describe how television viewers formed para-social relationships with TV personalities.

1) It’s time to submit your nominees for 2025 WOTY. The winner may (or may not) win a trip to Mars with Musk. 2) Alert readers noted that last week’s definition of halfpinion, which recieved honorable mention, was only half right. It is not a “truism that is only half true.” But a truism that is completely true, but only half the time. (It is true from one angle but it doesn’t do justice to the complexity of the situation). As in the past, I’ve put the entire fact checking team on half rations for the week; 3) finally, I’m way more than low-key excited about T-Day and encourage you to be as well. Everyone wins when we cultivate gratefulness.

Overheard

1) I think we can all agree that the technology behind automatic faucets and soap dispensers is not where it needs to be.

2) The person who pursues God’s will—while remaining unconcerned with what others think about them—is the freest person alive.

3) The best indication that we’re thinking well is that we are worshipping the Lord.

4) If you make it to the end of the day without praying and find yourself more or less happy, there’s a good chance you’re living a more secular lifestyle than you realize.

5) Much changes when you stop believing God is perpetually irritated with you.

6) We’ve moved from a era that was spiritually open but religiously closed, to an era that is spiritually open and religiously curious.

Exodus 33

While leading the Jews (and their animals) out of slavery through the desert and into an unknown territory—all without the benefit of food, water, a military, a leadership class or much of a plan—God asked Moses what he needed. And Moses asked God for one thing, “to see your face.” (My list would have been pages long.)

Question of the Week

How much have things outside of your control contributed to the things you take credit for? 

Resources

1) You can click here to see Lakelight’s Annual Report.

2) You can click here to see, hear or read my recent sermon on Revelation 6 & 7, which is on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Note: in spite of what a Google search will suggest, The Four Horsemen are not primarily: 1) a rock band; 2) a literary group; 3) a collection of pro wrestlers; or 4) the backfield of the Notre Dame’s 1924 team. They are an important marker in God’s unfolding plan.)

Closing Prayer

“O Lord Jesus Christ, I long to live in your presence, to see your human form and to watch you walking on earth. I do not want to see you through the darkened glass of tradition, nor through the eyes of today’s values and prejudices. I want to see you as you were, as you are, and as you always will be. I want to see you as an offense to human pride, as a man of humility, walking amongst the lowliest of men, and yet as the savior and redeemer of the human race. Amen.” (Søren Kierkegaard - 1813–1855)