So, this might not have much to do with youth ministry, per se, but it has been my reality in the past couple of weeks. I've given it the title "The Infinite Sadness" with apologies to Smashing Pumpkins. See, the world I grew up in is all falling apart and there is nothing I can do about it.
Truth is, it was falling apart my entire life. It's funny how the way we live is - no matter how broken - simply normal. My family's obsession with themselves has caused small fissures to become scars the size of the grand canyon. In the last few months I have been watching the tragedy of human choice some to the natural consequence - that of total isolation and death.
So, why do I tell you all of this? Please know that it's not to excuse my absence over the last couple of weeks. It's to remind us of our calling. We are agents of healing in a world that we made. Human pain comes from our attempt to control our world. Whether we are the predator or the victim, mankind is on an insatiable quest to fill out the image of God that is stamped on our soul. It is the condition of all of us. I fear what I cannot control so I refuse to trust God and His infinite love. My choice to drive my live ALWAYS ends in isolation and death. It's not "judgment" in the way we think of it, it's just the natural consequence of not living in love - the way we were designed.
The kids we serve - and every adult that surrounds them - are in this cycle of fear. Each has their own "Infinite Sadness" that they hide with clothes, sex, substance abuse, violence, technology, or whatever they put between their fragile heart and other fragile hearts.
Fear drives people to do horrible things that have become so pervasive that we have accepted it as normal. Watch 30 minutes of BET or MTV through the lens of the deep love of God. People are being abused 24 hours a day. Men think that their role in life is to be tough and to have as much sex as possible. Sexuality and violence are infecting themselves in the lives of our young women who advertise their sexual availability and call it being "strong". This generation celebrated Beyonce for her strength in a song that proclaimed she was getting rid of one loser man to get another who will "be here in a minute".
Even our "church kids" think that following God simply means doing good in school. God forgive us.
Sin isn't really a religious word. In fact, we have made all of the Bible words religious by taking them out of real life. Sin is an archery term that simply means "you missed". Kids are aiming at life and miss. Kids want life and love. They want to be whole. I want to be whole. Without turning the entirety of our being over to God to become enraptured by the Spirit they (we) will continue to miss.
This is what I suggest. Ask God this week to wipe the scales from your eyes. Ask Him to wipe away your perceptions of what is normal and let your soul see with His love. Allow yourself to really look at what is happening to ourselves and our kids through our choices. Not with the eyes of judgment, but with the brokenness of compassion.
I invite you to write your insights here. We must understand what is broken if we are to be agents of healing.
May God give us His heart as we journey into honesty.
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