Christian response to the Challenges of Youth

Christian response to the up hill Challenges of
today’s Chennai Youth.

“Ulagam ungal kaiyyil” is literally true with the post-modern youth of this 21st Century. The world is really in their hands. With the advancement in transport and communication, we are tempted to doubt the wisdom of the Wise man,
“Is there anything of which one can say, ’Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time” – Ecclesiastics 1:10.
During our generation itself, “Pager” appeared and was replaced by the “Mobile Phones”. The Cassettes are replaced by Floppies, then by CDs to VCDs to DVDs and then Memory Sticks and the venture goes on. In such as fast changing urban culture, what is the condition of the Chennai youth?

“Enjoy Life”: This new generation has one philosophy in life – “Just Do It”. “Today”, that too, “Just this moment” is what matters. Amusement parks are flooded with people. They are mushrooming in the Greater Chennai roads. Spending few thousand rupees for few hours of fun has become an accepted norm of the day. ‘Wild Rides’ and dangerous ‘Water Sports’ help the modern youth to get rid of the accumulated pressure. “Just a Puff”, “Just a Sip” and “Just a little prick” are the introductory phrases in the colleges. After some time, the first year student in engulfed in smoke, liquor and drug. “Net cafes” are filled with teens and twenties. Even though the ‘Web” has a LOT of educational information, the “City Kids” are mostly interested in the “forbidden adult sites” of the porno world.

“Education Explorers”: On one side the advancement of education is wonderful with all the new technologies. With the ongoing researches in ‘bio technology’, students tend to think that they can play ‘Creator God’ soon by making human beings of their own choice. This sows doubt about the existence of a super Creator God. The advancement in computer science brings the entire “Global Village” in to your ‘Lap Top’ or ‘Palm Top’. So, a section of the urban students are aspiring for education by any means. They are willing to burn their midnight oil to come up in life. They are hard working and do not have time for anything else except their studies. In the ‘no time’ list goes their family relationships and even their ‘religion’. The parents are happy that their wards are heading for something great and do not bother about the values they miss in life.

“Cool” types: A majority of the urban students tell you, “Be cool”. They take life very easy. Fun is the first priority for them in any situation. Despite all the rules, “Ragging” in the college is the best game. On the road, wild acrobatics in the city bus shows their capacity in balancing. They hover the theatres and malls during the class hours. Just from my desk I see through the window every day hundreds of these guys in the next building which hosts the “Motcham” group of theatres. The students also try to develop the so-called ‘ideal love’ behind the boats in Marina Beach or in the hidden corners of the public parks. These are some of their regular planned activities of the day. All the Chennai made films depict such a picture about the life in the college campus.

Family Struggle: Handling the students of the ‘cool type’ becomes a Himalayan task for the parents. You can not make them to budge by ‘offers’ or ‘threats’. They are willing to quietly listen to any amount of ‘advice’ or ‘scolding’ and finally respond, saying, “That’s all? You are through? OK. I am going” and fly off the scene. After such a session, the mother or father slumps to the chair or bed in despair.

Recently with despair I listened to the conversation of two sisters who were seriously considering admitting their aged and ailing mother in a ‘Home for the Aged’. They are a family of 5 sisters and one brother. Four of them live as families in Chennai. Their father passed away. Yet, none to care for the old mother. With the pressure of studies and work, busy life style, the family bonds get broken in the urban culture.

“Work is Worship”? Once up on a time, ‘faithfulness’, ‘loyalty’ and ‘reliability’ are the words that depict a sincere person who works all his life in the same company. But, the post modern generation comments on such person as “Sticking on to the same job for this many years?”, “You did not get any better package?”, “ You are struck?”, “ You have become stagnant?” etc. The best policy of the day is, to keep looking for the better offer, kick your present job and jump in to it and keep going. It is the ‘bigger package’ that matters, not the values.

“Money is God”: ‘12K per annum’ jobs are common in the Software World and in the MNC s. With such a salary and added perks, in order to fulfil his monthly target, a vibrant youth is wedded to his PC and spends around 20 hours a day with it. For those who talk about spending time for God and His ministry, the modern Pharaoh says,
“They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ’Let us go and sacrifice to our God’. Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.” “Lazy, that’s what you are – lazy! That is why you keep saying,”Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks” – Exodus 5:8, 9, 17, 18.

The modern management trick is, “Employ one person, give him the salary of two persons, extract the work of three”. Rightly that Carpenter from Nazareth said,”No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Money” – Matthew 6:24.

Friendship: The so called “generation gap’ separates many children from their parents emotionally and then physically. Many of the “City Kids” consider their parents as belonging to the “Stone Age’. Their utility diminishes to their role as walking ATMs and Home Caterers. The friends fill that gap. So, the urban youth is very fond of hanging around with his or her friend to the maximum time and come home just to hit the bed. Even at home, the ‘mobile’ keeps linking the friends for hours. Of course, their parents take care of the phone bill, the family ATMs. Any advice or interference of parents in the friendship erupts a civil war at home. For fear of it, the parents silently bear the brunt.

Parents’ Negligence: On the other hand, at times, the parents are so busy, reforming the whole society that they do not have time for their growing teen age children. Both the parents are working from dawn to dusk to earn to build their “house”, not their “home”. They think, if they fill the purses of their children with money and fill the house with modern toys and gadgets, their parental role is over. This also leads the modern youth to desperation and they seek comfort and counsel from the wrong quarters.

Samuel was an itinerant evangelist of his day and also was judging people in his hometown.
“But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So, all the leaders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways”, – 1 Samuel 7:15-17; 8:3-5.
Samuel was not able to nurture his children well. This resulted in people asking for a king to rule them. In the urban life style also, the family unit gets affected very much.

Christian Response
In the light of the condition of the urban youth, what is the response from the Christians as individuals and as the whole Church?

“This is the day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us.” 2 Kings 7:9

Caring Family: In such a situation, how can we reach our City Youth? The first and foremost step is to build up the Home Front. This can be done by proper information and education of the parents about the Kingdom Values in life. They must be willing to take bold decisions, which may shatter some of their long-term dreams. Yet, for the future of the children, the parents should be willing to restructure their lives. More of “Family Seminars” can be arranged. These are not to be led by ‘swollen heads’ who have only studied a lot on the subject, but by simple people who have practiced these God-given values.

Open Homes: The youth look for some one to care for. If they do not get this in their own families for various reasons, we can open our home to entertain them. Thousands of youth from other countries and other states studying in colleges are looking for a homely atmosphere in a City like Chennai. If we can invite them for an informal time over tea, they will be more than willing to come. We can celebrate special festivals and Birthdays with them. In such an atmosphere, they will open up their minds and seek guidance for important questions in life. Of course, this will cost our time and money. It may affect our privacy too. Yet, this is a worthy challenge to consider.
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” Matthew 5:46. “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives or your rich neighbours….invite the poor, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” – Luke 14:12-14.

Healthy Hangouts: Secondly, all the Churches can have ‘Youth Centres’ with variety games and resources. If the Church does not give healthy activities for the youth, they turn to the wrong places for fun. “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. These Youth Centres must have well trained youth counsellors to listen to the problems of the youth. The youth do not require ‘Ready Made Answer Preachers’. They look for people with whom they can relate and open their hearts and their lives. A regular ‘Coffee Shop’ can be a worthy activity of a growing Church to cater to the needs of the youth. Here a Church youth can bring his friend to spend time in listen to songs, watch a film, or talk to a counsellor.

Wealthy Resources: The Church and the organisations must produce booklets, magazines, VCDs and other materials, which will deal with youth problems. The write up or message has to be relevant to the urban youth. The production needs to be attractive so that the ‘City Kid’ will be proud to keep it with him or her. These are to be available at very nominal cost, in par with the stuff the secular world produces. Many times, even evangelistic books and materials are so costly that the normal person can not afford to buy or gift to his friend.

Joint Ventures: The Church Youth Fellowships and the organisations working among the students must come together and plan to reach the urban youth. Our sole aim must be to present the Gospel to the neglected youth of the City. We have to forego the hidden agendas and come together to the great harvest of souls. City wide “Youth Festivals”, “Debates”, “Youth Games”, “Music Mela” and similar activities can be planned to get the youth. Along with the other activities, the love of Christ has to be shown practically. For those who respond, proper follow up must be arranged so that the Local Churches can nurture them.

Population wise, our country is a young country. If we show the right way to the youth, the future of the nation will be bright and prosperous. Let us arise and build the Youth Kingdom with the values of God.

P.Jebaraj
UESI Office, 19, Millers Road, Kilpauk, Chennai 600010, India
pjebarajuesi@hotmail.com May 2006

Published in “Echo of Madras” of Church Growth Association