Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/3630/-1/133/
|
Religion And Youth by Pastor Ellis J. Harrigan
|
Despite the many random acts of violence and all the hype about Youth Crime in Anguilla, I find it interesting and curious that religion is hardly mentioned as a possible remedy or panacea for crime. Broadly speaking, religion provides a compass for moral and social behaviour.
|
|
Pastor Ellis J. Harrigan
|
I know that many Anguillians are God conscious people, and that many still go to church, but at the centre of the equation there is a shift in the relevance of religion and in its application to every day life. There was a time when Anguillians relied upon God for providence—for sustenance and for peaceful existence as a matter of necessity. But today, there seem to be little need for the invisible God. People are more enchanted by the lure of materialism; and when things become the central focus of our lives, it becomes the god of immediacy—the god of the belly. The more sophisticated term for this phenomenon is hedonism—the pursuit of pleasure, sensual self indulgence and a lack of self restraint.
In the midst of this economic revolution, we are losing our children. Children must be taught that life is about more than the superficial and material. They need to be loved and affirmed as valued persons; and they need to know that in their humanity they are essentially more than just flesh and blood. I am reminded that when God created the first man, he “…breathed in his nostrils, the breath of life and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2:7). Therefore, the body, even though it is awesome and glorious in design--it is nothing more than the cage, the structure, the container in which the person lives, but essentially he/she is a living soul. And nothing can truly satisfy the soul but the breath of God. We eat food for strength and health, and then we get hungry again. We have sex for procreation and pleasure and then we desire it again. In fact the very act of consuming anything upon the flesh, only creates a deeper hunger rather than a sense of real satisfaction. Everything that pertains to the flesh is temporary. As Christians, the most precious gift that we can convey to our children is to live before them as positive examples and let them know that God is real. In affirming this, the scriptures admonish us to ‘teach our child the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.’ These are fundamental principles for life beyond the surface, beyond the trivial and the mundane.
In a conversation with Rev Joseph Lloyd, retired pastor of the Methodist Church, he emphasised that “the church has always been there, doing what the church does, but people have become pre-occupied with themselves and other things, and for many, the church have become irrelevant.” And so, it would appear that we are raising a generation that ‘do not know God.’ And when God is removed from the equation, the devil will do what he does (steal, kill and destroy).
In order to meet this challenge, the church must become more creative in its approach to ministry. For example, it is critical that church leadership understand the mindset of the street-wise youngster. They are being seduced by deviant, foreign practices such as Thug life, Hip Hop and gang banging. They function within a different cultural norm, with language and forms of behaviour contrary to what we consider acceptable. Very often they may appear to be angry. This is part of the façade to give the impression of toughness—especially when the issue of drug trafficking is involved. Such a stance is a necessary defence mechanism against others who may challenge their turf. Dr Elijah Anderson, author of Code of the Streets, makes this point: “At the heart of the code is the issue of respect—loosely defined as being treated right…with the right amount of respect, for instance, one can avoid being bothered in public.” These individuals are suspicious of, and resistant to all forms of authority. Therefore, a spiritual approach in the absence of some kind of substantive relationship will never succeed.
For example, I was told that the boys of a particular village were among the worse offenders on the island, so I decided to meet them. As I approached the group, I could feel the tension. So, I introduced myself as a pastor and began to engage them in conversation. We talked about politics, the lack of social programs for youth and they were anxious to tell me why they feel disenfranchised. I listened, I contradicted, I made arguments for and against their ideas and I agreed with many things they said.. They were respectful and listened attentively and made appropriate responses. In other words, I was able to engage them at some level and made them feel like valued persons. I was not condescending and judgmental. In this conversation, I did not speak about God, I did not ask them about whether they were selling drugs or any such thing. I believe they were convinced that I was genuinely concerned about them (and I was). What was the point? It was imperative that I build a relationship at their level and once I am accepted as one they can trust, then I am in a position to make a difference.
The apostle Paul makes this observation: “To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (I Cor. 9:22). So, what is Paul saying to us? To become all men does not mean that we participate in their negative behaviour, but we must place ourselves in a position in order to relate and then create opportunity for understanding. According to scripture, Jesus, being holy, ‘sat with sinners.’ And one might expect that as he sat with them, they continued to sin, but he was not offended. On the contrary, he came to save sinners—murderers and thieves, whoremongers and drug pushers; and as he sat, he was building relationships and showing compassion.
In conclusion, the current crisis among our youth in Anguilla affords the church tremendous opportunity for ministry. But this will not be ministry as usual. It is not for the faint hearted and the fearful. It will require an outpouring of God’s love—manifested in prayer, wisdom, courage and deliberate action. There is a need for all types of social intervention among these troubled youth, and more importantly there is a need to reach the very young before they are caught up in the web of violence.
In addition to spiritual intervention, the church should make demands on government to move expeditiously to put into place programs that will create opportunities for youth and provide alternatives to loitering on the streets. There is no point asking why they are always hanging around the street when, in fact there are no alternatives. The church should demand that youngsters who commit offences be not adjudicated in adult courts and should not be imprisoned in adult jails—these are all critical issues that need immediate attention. And if accomplished, will go a long way in mending the social fabric. Whatever these young men may be—good or bad, they represent our future.