There is something energising, and a little intimidating, about watching high school students flood out of the school gate at 3pm. They are laughing, carefree with an underlying, antiestablishment, defiance of authority that exudes confidence and freedom. Added to this youthful exuberance is a life time of affirmation. They have grown up on a diet of Disney and reality TV where they have been constantly told believe in yourself, follow your dreams and you can be whoever you want to be. As parents we have potentially perpetuated this Disney world view by lavishing on our children every experience and every opportunity possible- in fact we are petrified that if our child misses out on anything they will be stunted for life and never realise their full potential.
It would be easy to watch and believe that all is well for our youth. Tragically, for all the affirmation, for all the opportunity, for all the bravado, our youth are more stressed, more depressed and more medicated than ever. The statistical evidence is overwhelming and I recommend reading a report released last year called “For Kid’s Sake” by Patrick Parkinson. It can be found here.
This doesn’t mean that our youth are not optimistic. Quite the contrary they are extremely, almost delusionally, hopeful about the future. Our individualistic, self-indulgent culture has fed them a media contrived picture of life and relationships where it’s always fun, always exciting, always satisfying and they have eaten it up. They aren’t necessarily satisfied but they remain hopeful that it’s just a little further down the road; “my life will be complete if I get a motor bike, my life will be complete if I get a girlfriend, my life will be complete if spend 6 months traveling in Europe and trekking in Nepal, and partying in Ibiza. My life will be complete if I go and help in a refugee camp in Ugunda or an orphanage in Cambodia”. The message is simple; it doesn’t matter what they do, just be true to yourself and go for it.
It’s in this context that we have the opportunity to share a very different hope. A hope that is grounded in the truth that we have been created to live in relationship with the living God. It’s a hope that offers a communal engagement with life and recognises who we are in the context of the body of Christ and within broader humanity. A hope that expresses itself in a life of service and sacrifice rather than self-indulgence. A certain future hope grounded in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We need to help our young people navigate the tumult of adolescence; as they go from dependent children to interdependent adults but the most significant thing we can do is to share the gospel and help them ground reality in a love for Jesus.
Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God
(1 Timothy 4:8-10)
Feature photo: dazt
