Youth Work And Suffering
The following post is an except from Youth Work Magazine Online… www.youthwork.co.uk/
To some, working with young people can feel detached from making an impact on the world’s problems. Philip Eley presents a list of practical ways in which youth leaders can shape cultures, respond to injustice and be a powerful force for change.
Have you ever asked yourself the question: ‘Is my youth work really affecting the deepest issues in our world?’ ‘How am I impacting a world of suffering and injustice?’ I often find myself asking this question. Sometimes I watch the news and see another report of starvation, war and suffering and my contribution to the world seems inadequate. I read articles in the newspaper and they make me feel uncomfortable, selfish and uncertain. With so much suffering in the world, I often find myself wondering how I can justify my day-to-day life of youth work.
The trouble is that youth work is such good fun. It can be hard work, sure, but the rewards are also great. When I spend a day playing Jenga with teenagers or chatting about reality TV, and then I return home to see famine on the news, it seems hard to connect the two things. And yet, I know I was called to be a youth worker. I value the world of youth work and I know that I am following God’s plan for my life.
For many years I allowed this reassurance to calm me and thought no more about it. But the more I think about it, the more I know there is a connection between youth work and injustice. I don’t think I’m supposed to just ignore the nagging voices in my head, but neither do I think I’m supposed to pack my bags and try to sort out the world’s problems. I now realise that the unsettled
feeling is telling me to think through my response to suffering and injustice and to prayerfully consider how I should respond. I think I’ve been hearing the question wrongly. The question I need to ask is ‘HOW should I do youth work in a world of suffering and injustice?’
This article can be found in its entirety in the November 2009 issue of Youthwork magazine. Check out our great subscription offers now!
