Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - March 1/56

Contributor - Rev. J. W. Falkenburg

Title - What Do You Think of This?"

Topic - Youth

Whenever youth and youth problems are discussed today there is a tendency to overestimate the importance and the possibilities of our young people. It seems to me that too many grown-up people, realizing their failures and shortcomings, do not talk quite realistically about the opportunities young people have and will have to make this world a better place to live in. People, who believe this, quite often want nothing better than to flee from full responsibility for their own acts and behaviour. They want to excuse themselves for having far from reached their idealistic goals, so they turn around and look back and say to the younger generation: "well, you will succeed where we failed". In this way that what separates one generation from another is taken much too seriously. There has been a time (not so long ago) when older people were utterly puzzled by what they saw their children do. It seemed as if these children were visitors from another planet, with strange ideas and revolutionary ideals. It was the time when "this modern age" appeared on the stage of humanity. But this time has passed. There is no longer such a gap between the generations. We are all "modern people", children of a technical and even atomic age.

The above mentioned unfortunate extreme, consisting of a gross over-estimation of the powers and possibilities of youth, was clearly a reaction to another, equally unfortunate extreme: a matter-of-fact refusal to take youth, its problems and ideals, seriously. That was the time when the parents (especially the fathers!) allowed their children little if any room for independence, responsibility and self-expression. Children were often forcefully molded after a firm and fixed pattern. Sometimes we still find this attitude today in some circles, where the opinion in important matters of a young man or a young woman is refused because of his or her youth and "inexperience, it is a remnant of an unfair and prejudiced past, and the sooner it disappears altogether the better!

If I am not mistaken however, we stand today in much more danger of over-estimating than of underestimating the younger generation. Youth is put upon a pedestal as it is studied, addressed, criticized, flattered, almost worshiped. Every organization, every movement, every party competes for its favours; to be young is to be considered lucky and privileged. Who does not want the future on his side? Unfortunately, it cannot be said that the Christian Church has always escaped this superficial "youth-worship". Too, often it is over-conscious of the fact that today's young people are tomorrow's leaders. Just like any worldly Organization it is inclined to expect too much of the younger ones.

In many churches everybody goes out of his way to try to please "the kiddies". The main emphasis in the church-program is on educating the lowest age-groups. The result is a church in which one can feel at home only when young (or very old). In such a church one is eventually disappointed in one's hope that today's young people will be tomorrow's leaders. In many cases the time for tomorrow's leadership never comes. The reason is that the atmosphere in the church is such that grown-up people feel they do not at all fit in. The message of such a church is often entirely "beside the point" in the eye of the grown-up: it does not give an answer to his questions, it shows a lack of interest in and knowledge of the issues of his world, it does not provide him with strength and comfort in the struggles and temptations of his day. In this way the church becomes an institution in which some people, aged 25 to 60, donate almost all their efforts and money to the purpose of giving the younger generation "some religion".

This practice, of course, is wrong, to say the least. In the Christian Church youth has its own, important place. It should, however, definitely not occupy the only important place. It is not a sign of health if everything in a church centers around the Sunday School and the Young People Societies! Our young people should feel that they are taken seriously, but not too, seriously. In the Christian Church there are no privileged age-groups!

Youth and its problems and tasks should receive a fair share of the attention of the church. However, it should not be allowed to become self-centered and egotistic. All age-groups in the Church of Christ have a duty to serve, and not to be served. Young people are no exception to this rule.

This is something our Young People Societies should bear in mind. They should not allow the talk about the importance of the second generation for the immigrant-Church to go to their heads! They should feel responsibility and act accordingly. They should not want to be "sued for". The meetings of some Young People Societies betray an attitude of a certain "smugness": they are too exclusively concerned with their own edification and fun. They often show a barely concealed lack of interest in spiritual matters, a secret or sometimes open boredom and - in spite of the name "Youth FELLOWSHIP" a poor sense of fellowship. Often any kind of vision and genuine enthusiasm is lacking. One sometimes gets the impression that the whole structure is kept up artificially, and that nobody would really care if it would be allowed to crumble. If this impression is right, it is high time that we do something about it! But even at its best our present set-up and practice is too self-centered and therefore often not inspirational. This is partly the fault of the church leaders, who do not draw the young people into the general work of the church.

But for the larger part is it due to a basic lack of faith and consecration on the part of our young people themselves. Quite a number of them seem to be too busy earning money (of which the church as a rule gets little) and "having fun" to be much interested in the work of the church. Not only a direct appeal to their help is sometimes ignored, but also any kind of initiative is shirked.

Why do I say all this? To irritate? No! To invite comment? Partly. But chiefly out of concern for the spiritual welfare or our young people. I do not think the efforts of the Reformed Church in America to minister to our immigrant-families any less important and gratifying if our young people refuse to get ready to carry on this magnificent task. No matter what the "second generation" will do, the work that is done and has been done among the people of the first generation should thankfully be considered as "not in vain in the Lord". But I would be very sorry for the young people themselves, if they could not get beyond the point of meekly "going through all the motions" without any sign of real strength and conviction!

Do I expect too much of our youth? Do, I make the mistake of over-estimating them? Is it unfair to ask them to do what their parents often could not and did not want to do? I do not know. All I know is that we seem to have approached a point beyond which we cannot go. and at the same time hope to preserve a living faith.

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