What do we want to teach youth?

A seventeen year old girl writes: “I live in great loneliness. Where should I rest my heart? How should I express my ideals? How should I satisfy my desires? I suppress them and I am frustrated. Nowhere can I find confidence… sincerity…security. Isn’t there some light for us? Is there no love without any consideration? Are all such things gone?”

It is a fact, therefore, that in our days the human being is in a difficult position. He pursues greedily the dream of happiness. Psychoanalysis, tranquilizers, drugs are the personalization of agony. In a sense man is becoming one-dimensional. Where does the problem lie? In the absence of fulfillment, in other words as a heretic declared; “God cannot know, wish or do anything without me. It was together with God that I was self-created and created all things and it is my hand which holds heaven, the earth and all creation. Without me nothing exists.”

In our days we observe a turn towards the human being and the world as a result of prevailing in the west of the Theology of St. Augustine and the Scholastics. A separation is made between the divine and the human or lay reality. And this because “western Christianity believing in man’s inability to develop within God, brought about mans will to develop outside God.

Furthermore the surprising development of empirical science and technique produced an exaltation of self confidence in man, who believed that he held his future in his own hands.

As a result of this situation, a view prevailed that the means for the change of the world and the organ for reunion of humanity was not God, but science and technique.

The Orthodox Church belatedly but seedily enters the world of technological and social change.

The various efforts made up to now, have operated in a groundless and never down to earth manner. They tried to create a kind of super youth, who were different and exceptional, who were the good ones (selfishness of holiness), who never encountered the problem of error, they could dominate others’ lives.

In this superfluous atmosphere the problem changes into various other shapes – problems, which can easily be separated into the following groups:

I. Environmental problems

a. Present day conditions of life attachment to matter,

affluence.

b. Technological development, annihilation distance, over activation of Mass Media and V.

c. Secularism, spiritual disorientation, contentment

II. Problems caused by others

a. Refugee problem.

b. Development and transformation of city centres in hydrocephalus monsters.

Underestimating the subject of religion of the

Elementary and secondary education, exaltation of

heresies, Distention of modern man from the word of God. As a consequence, there is prejudice against the Church, which is considered as something old and anachronistic, foregone God. Indifference. Estrangement.

c. Partisation and organization of youth by other sources. Differentiation of cosmotheoretical position.

d. Reduction of the free time of students to private lessons etc.

e. Strong current of various religious movements.

f. Expansion of moral sensation.

g. Peculiar practicing of freedom suppression etc.)

III. Problems caused by ourselves

a. Too much devotion to material occupation.

b. Indifference for spiritual matters.

c. Reduced zeal, lukewarmness, immaturity.

d. Delay in approaching people and situations.

e. Following persons and situations alien to the orthodox

reality.

f. Absence of live examples.

g. Superficiality syndrome.

It has been said over and over again, that today the

sources of life no longer run and that the wells of spirit have dried up. Disappointment everywhere. The young, disappointed mainly by those who were supposed to lead the way, have setup roadblocks and have searched for persons of standing as bright examples, whom they could trust and go ahead. To light the torch and go forward.

Something had to be done. We have to do certain things. Should we appear disinterested? Would that be a solution? But if this happens, and the situation worsens, we should not complain. We have to move on. To work hard, before it is too late.

As a Church we can do a lot.

A. We can bring God live in the middle of modern cities.

B. We can work for the reconciliation of man with God.

C. We can assist towards the liberation of man from the

various forms of modern idolatry (workship of self,

money, power, sex,…).

D. We can become teachers of brotherhood.

E. We can serve the town either by lifting sufferings of by providing relief. Specifically we are called to work hard:

a. for the cooperation of men and particularly of youth

b. for the protection of the city from disintegration and

dissolution.

c. for giving a good example of the perfect society

d. with a spirit of self-sacrifice, altruism, love and

generally the surpassing of human element.

F. We have also to be a sign of hope which announces the coming of the Kingdom of God, as the Kingdom of the future, which will bring about the transformation of people and the universe.

G. We have to carry out the prophetical role of the Church, giving a theological perspective of suffering in human life, reminding that “we do not have here a lasting town” distinguishing between present and future life of the Church.

H. We can build the future within a climate of genuineness

and simplicity away from worldly ways.

How can we implement all these?

1a.	As a Church, we have to show love, eagerness to devote time, money and ourselves.
b.	To learn and to educate correctly.
c.	It is necessary to prepare ourselves properly (training, approach and interest).
d.	It is necessary to cultivate the proper fighting spirit.
e.	It is necessary to pinpoint the problem, and have the proper personal approach, accepting the others and particularly youth. We have to make this as a target and a practice of life.
f.	It is necessary to get rid of all forms of allergy towards modern media.
g.	We have to create motives and cadres.
2a.	We have to turn our interest to the parish, which we have to organize as well as possible.
b.	We have to lead the parish properly, recruiting suitable workers and spiritual fathers.
c.	We can set up youth camps.
d.	We have to accept all the young people and not only the “good ones”.
e.	We have to choose suitable team-leaders and teachers.
3.	Good approach, communication and good relation with the parents.
4a.	Opportunities for proper entertaintment such as excursions, etc.
b.	Choosing proper places for healthy recreation.
c.	Visual aids.
5.	Modern suitable text books and accessible reading material.
6.	Publication of periodicals, leaflets and other printed material.

It is important to note here, that which a respectable author wrote: “Young people who are invited to work in Sunday schools demand from us honesty, clear targets, clear play and predescribed frame works of targets and perspectives... The work should not be carried out selfishly and theoretically by giving orders, but through good cooperation. The message can neither be a groundless prating, a wishful sermon, nor a youthful flight… but a message of dynamic and clear invitation in a work, which has been blessed by the blood of Christ.”

We are invited therefore to put our signature, but also our testimony, which if we know how, at least a few will find out that only the living God can free people from their

anxiety and their agonies, their difficulties and complexes. A blow of freedom: The encarnation of Christ overturns the scientific “customs” of a world confined in its estrangement, the Easter message blows up anything negative which everyday life presents.

There remains a basic issue. What shall we specifically teach youth?

The obligation is serious and heavy. Our era is difficult and that makes our work even more difficult to bear.

If we wanted to provide a scriptural reply, we would say that we may want to teach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (A’ Cor. 2,2).

What does this mean?

We must give to young people a leader. A collaborator. A steady friend. Someone on whom they can rely. Someone who will prove consistent in his deeds, in his words, his teaching, his love.

At the same time, in his person, they will find a liberator. A savior. Someone who will be an example of self-sacrifice and self-denial. Someone who sacrificed himself for us in order to help us and save us all.

It is a fact that even in our days sin continues to work in a ruinous way. Sin has spread widely its nets. Sin holds us well tied up. Only one can liberate us. Only one can unite us and lead us in places of salvation. Nobody else except Jesus Christ.

We therefore have a duty, in the same way that as parents we took our children to school, we have to take them to Him and tell Him: Lord, we have brought our children to you. We leave them to you. Take them. They are yours.

Undoubtedly Jesus Christ exists and works in the ark of salvation: in the Church. There they will find their place. And this will be done if we tell them and explain to them what Church is, its purpose and mission. We shall initiate the youth in the mysteries of the Church giving them first the good example. Showing them our own correct union with the Church.

We have to explain to them that “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” (there is no salvation outside the Church).

We have to teach them that in life they will face difficulties, as well as falls. We must assure them, that the solution is to find shelter in the only clinic, which can provide help: the Church. We shall offer them our own experience for confession and Holy Communion.

We are called upon to teach them with words and deeds the need to pray. To teach them how they can pray. To find always refuge in God.

We shall speak to them about the Crucified Love.

We shall teach them the great chapter of love of the Cross, but we shall not stop there. We shall go with them to the empty tomb like the women carrying the spices and ointments. We shall together declare the unique message “the Lord has truly risen”. Together we shall augment the great truth. Resurrection follows calvary. With Him we

shall also be resurrected. It is up to each one of us to decide. It is up to us to make his Crucifixion part of our life. To proceed together to the tomb, in order to live with Him the great truth of the Resurrection. His as well as ours.

We have also to remind the young and to tell them that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Hebr. 13,8) and he will always be with us.

To tell them that He is eternal, everlasting and unaltered.

To tell them that “He went forth conquering and to conquer” (Revel. 6,2). Recent facts prove this truthfully.

We have to unite youth with Him and not with us. We have to speak to them about God’s perfection and at the same time, tell them about our own imperfection and weakness.

To tell them that they must go to Him and this in words and deeds, with our good example and consistency. We have to use all possible ways and means. With a strong or low voice – it makes no difference.

“Yes come Lord Jesus”

And we must be sure that he will reply:

“Yes indeed. I am coming soon” (Revel. 22,20).

+Fr. George

Дата добавления: 2015-10-23