Thursday, March 6, 2014

What they should know

What can we do for our communities?

Let's start with the communities' youth.

Last night, with 13 young in attendance, we talked about what Ash Wednesday meant, we talked about Lent, we talked about sin and repentance. Sin, they had heard of. Repentance, nope.

Somehow we got onto other subjects, as we often do, and we slid right on into the Holocaust. One of the 13 had heard of it. One. Smart kids, from 12 to 14 years of age, and they had not heard of the worst of moments in our past. And they didn't particularly seem amazed when I told them what it was.

Think about that for just a moment, and wonder as I do how they get to their teenage years without hearing of this.

I then, just for the heck of it, asked them if they had hear of the Ukraine, thinking perhaps today's events had been discussed somewhere. They had not.

My point is not to dump on the kids. My point is to dump on those of us, and I include myself almost unwillingly because I never truly felt a call to work with youth before circumstances dictated I do such, have a responsibility to talk to our youth about the Jewish nation, about history, about present events, about things that they should know about today.

I constantly pray I've not failed my own children. I pray consistently that our grandchildren find their way to a loving relationship with God.

But it can't stop there. The kids that are walking our streets will be the adults who are leading our society. Let today be a day we take one step toward helping them find their way. Let them find true grace as if it were the hidden treasure we all know it to be.

Father
I pray today for our children. I pray they have heard that you love them. I pray that they have heard that your created them in your image, that you made them your masterpieces. I pray that what we do as adults, that what we show them as adults, never lead them astray. I pray for youth workers around the world who have the gravest of duties. I pray they find a way to teach their charges about Jesus in a way that will spark interest, guide them to wisdom, and help them to love their neighbor as themselves. May that be all our prayers today.
Amen

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