I am in the business of TRYING to understand and relate to why students are the way they are. Every fiber of my being (partnered with the HS, of course) wants to convey the message of Calvary and the Kingdom of God in a way that connects, lands, and hits home.
I am a firm believer that existentialism (endorsed by Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Heidegger, and Jaspers) has greatly invaded and persuaded the 21st century student culture. Existentialism is the answer to why students are the way they are and how they live their life.
As Walter Kaufman puts it:
Existentialism is the refusal to belong to any school of thought, the repudiation of the adequacy of any body of beliefs whatever, and especially of systems and a marked dissatisfaction with traditional philosophies and theologies as superficial, academic, and remote from life.
Existentialism is influencing our students, which is a BIT problematic. Students are essentially gaining meaning from their experiences. Students have to experience it for themselves before they realize what is wrong or right. I will get drunk and not accept Jesus, until something bad happens. Right now, I am cool and there is no immediate need to change or accept Jesus. My life is just fine as it is.
In my perspective here are some of the many problems pressing students within an existential culture:
Students are…..more depressed than ever. Seriously who is not on PROZAC? We live in a world where those who have the highest percentage of human wealth have the highest concentration of people medicated for depression. Depression is unmet expectations. Things going on in your mind are not matching up to how you are living and feeling.
Students are…..Anti-Religious. I like Jesus, but I do not like the church. If religion can lead to God, than religion can lead people away from God. Religion means rules. If you are religious you are living according to a Holy and Sacred system.
Students are…..becoming more pluralistic and relativistic. Jesus is not the only way. Yes He is my way, but He cannot possibly be the way, truth, and the life for the people in India. Some students think that whatever god you find, is your truth. Some students have a hard time accepting that Jesus is the only way because that communicates a very egocentric and exclusive mentality.
Students have a deep sense of choice. Think about how many choices we have. America is the land of freedom. Choices are fine, but if given too many there is a higher risk one may not make the RIGHT decision. Because students have their own autonomy this implies their purpose is created from their experiences. If choosing to smoke Marijuana is not harming me, than it does not matter if it is illegal. Remember existentialism revolts against any system of government, rules, or policies. It becomes all about your propagative, your agenda, and your experience.
The challenge for youth pastors is not to reject the ideas of Existentialism but accept them. The notions of Existentialism are in the DNA of the students. It is imperative for the youth pastor to translate and remix and creatively interact with the Existential themes by pointing them towards the cross.
Does this mean we compromise the teachings of Jesus’?
No, not one bit.
You communicate how Jesus can intersect their experiences. You convey that the teachings of Jesus are the best way to live.
The question is can you trust the teachings of Jesus?
I rather the students experience every RELIGION and determine what RELIGION offers the best and holistic life. The problem is that Christianity is the ONLY religion that has a God pursuing you.
The goal of spirituality is not to extract from you all desire and passion. The call of Jesus is the exact opposite—delight in him and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I think we as youth pastors not be afraid of the existential rhetoric. We do not need to got all defensive and upset about it. We do not need to have a 5 week teaching series degrading and arguing against it. We accept it and offer a Jesus that essentially wrecks their existential world view.
3 comments
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July 17, 2008 at 5:32 am
jake
Nice! I’ve been waiting for this one…hope it generates some controversial comments that I can respond to (oh how I wish I would have seen the stir of the theology blogs in time to contribute to the conversation…). But on a serious note, I think you addressed the issues perfectly, don’t react against E to the point of alienating the youth and don’t compromise the teachings of Jesus—could there be any better principled compromise? I think not.
July 17, 2008 at 7:13 am
cornishevangelist
Woven.
Christianity is woven throughout our entire nation, being the very fabric that makes up these islands. It keeps the judgement of God from falling on us that is why we have been preserved from the many wars that have buffeted our shores.
We need never feel that the darkness that comes upon us is permanent, for the light of Christ will always prevail by dispersing it with his glory. We need not be troubled by wicked people, for our God is surely dealing with them. I am amazed when I see Christianity in all our great institutions, I cannot begin to speak of all our workforce, builders, lawyers, nurses, miners, factory workers, who make our nation so great and confess Christ Jesus as Lord, Well, the list is never ending, where God’s people can be found, Christianity is literally everywhere. It cannot and will not ever be removed from these islands.
Do not listen to doom prophets, when you hear them say things for example, like the abortion issue, they say, “surely this will bring God’s wrath upon us all, for that wicked thing that people do to our unborn children.” Well, God’s judgement will fall on them that commit such horrific killings, but I assure you, the righteous will not be included in God’s judgement.
We remember how God’s mercy is shown to us in Genesis 18:24-26, I quote,
“Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee: Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
You can see from this scripture that God will surely spare our nation, because there are more than fifty righteous Christians living here. Now Jesus has told us that this world is inhabited by the children of the kingdom and the children of the wicked, and that He will not bring final judgement on the wicked until the end of the world, because He will not destroy the wicked while the righteous are here.
At the end of the world Jesus said in St Matthew 13: 41, – 43, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”And so, that is how we can be confident that God will not let us be overwhelmed by these recent troubles that we face in our nation. Praise God, for every born-again believer that God has placed in our lands.
EVANGELIST BILLY BOLITHO
http://www.evangelistbillybolitho.blogspot.com
August 3, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Ben
I have to be honest…
The lastzl, really long, comment… Uh… Confused me.
I like this post, this is the way I have been thinking for some time.
I think the same principle applies to postmodernism. I am simply amazed when people announce that we have to save our nation from postmodernism… Or we ll become like postmodern Europe. When I hear this the only thing I can think is: uh… You can’t stop postmodernism… That’s a fruitless battle. I bet if we had tried to adapt the message of Jesus in Europe instead of defend ideology, If we had been willing to repaint our message instead of blaming cultural changes for making our “method” obsolete, that contenent could look different today.
So… I agree. Paul adapted both his message on very large levels to the culture he was speaking to… And he told us to do the same.