The STOPLight

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Second chance wisdom

Cathy was active in her Christian youth group and helped teach Sunday School. Some of her friends were party-ers but not her. She had set some limits and tried to keep herself from doing drugs and meaningless sex.

One day she met Jason and felt she found a soul-mate. She found herself telling him her thoughts and feelings that she never thought she would tell a boy. He seemed to do the same. She felt this closeness and intimacy she had never experienced before. Before she knew it the relationship was becoming physical and at the time, it seemed so natural she couldn't figure out how to stop it. She became sexually active and didn't know how to tell her parents. Going to church became a pain.

Jim was a good athlete and brought up in the church. He had fun joking around with the youth pastor and had gone on a mission trip. It seemed right to him to have Christian values and not stray from the church.

One day all the seniors on his team said it was time for him to have a grown-up experience. They were all going to the strip club in the neighboring town. Everybody started piling into a couple of cars. He was caught off guard. He definitely did not want to look like a nerd so before he knew it, he was in the car with them.

On the way he remembered what he had heard in confirmation class. A woman who had been in stripping told of how she had been beaten up by a pimping guy and how much her kids had suffered. Jim didn't really want to get involved but didn't know how not to. So he went along with his friends anyway.

If you or I were Cathy or Jim, what would we do at this point? Most of us think we can be strong enough to not get then we get involved anyway. Now what? The most natural outcome is that we regard ourselves as "spoiled merchandise," so we despair of having it any other way. For us, following Christ is all about how we are doing. Wrong! How so?

Peter followed Jesus three years and when he saw that Jesus was going to be put to death, he jumped in with how loyal and strong he would be. "I will follow you, Jesus, even to the point of dying with you." Boy, that strong will power felt good to him.

But Jesus did not buy it. Jesus told him, "Satan has demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat but I prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers and sisters" (Luke 22:31,32).

We know how Peter went on to deny Jesus three times, fearful for his own life (Luke 22:54-62). We also know how Jesus returned to restore him and commission him to Christian leadership (John 21). We often learn the hard way. Living in Christ is not about our personal smarts, our strong self-will.

Christ has come to turn our heads and hearts away from ourselves to his forgiveness, to his wisdom, to the eternal life he has given us. He did not come so that we can prove how strong we are, but how in him, we have first grace, then strength.

We ask him for wisdom rather than depending on our own. When we fall away as Peter did we need others to help us discover God has not abandoned us. The ministry of Christians is to keep interrupting the despair we each feel and call ourselves and others back to confession, forgiveness, and renewal.

The church is a hospital for sinners not a sanctuary for good people. Every congregation is challenged to be that kind of community. How are we going to be there for each other -- like really?

When our youth quit coming after confirmation, does this not say something about the way they feel in relationship to all the adults? Have they ever felt really included, really important, like their faith and lives and gifts really mattered?

Have they experienced the adventure of following Christ, the power of prayer among us?

This is why Adults Saving Kids believes every congregation is called to have people praying specifically for its youth every day. We will not interrupt despair by being passive.

It is time to move out and make sure we are there for the young people even when they have messed things up. A big first step is for a congregation to get our prayer manual and enroll people in praying. This is a tremendous gift to every finding-their-way young person.

Step out and contact us for material if you are interested in having this happen in your congregation.

Wisdom in Christ is there for those who have realized their own weakness, their own foolishness.

When Abraham Lincoln was pressed to have Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy be hanged, his reply was "Judge not, that ye be not judged." When we recognize the log in our own eye, we will have more compassion for serving those who have come out on the losing end.

True wisdom comes forth from a community in Christ where people abide in Christ and in the surprise of being forgiven. We are not to tear down one another but to be a gift to benefit one another and build up each other.

by Rev. Al Erickson