Mutterings…
So here I sit in the humble little ChelleyBelly. A classy little sandwich/soup & coffee spot in downtown Delaware. I’m listening to the new album by Derek Webb called Mockingbird. It’s pretty good. And he gives it away to people. See Free Music link to the right.
I’m impressed by junior high guys. Lastnight my guy Seth and I had prepared for our small group with these young laddies and we were trying to discuss what it ment to be MOM’s. (Men on Mission). They pretty much had it down. They are a lot smarter than we probably gave them credit for. Eventually what happend was a young guy named Michael who goes to a Catholic church in town starts asking questions about other religions.
The room goes quiet. The guys actually stop mumbling and they start asking more and more questions to me and a 16 year-old bro. Asking about the paths people take to God, God knowing different stories that people need to draw them to Himself, and the event of purification in one’s life helping to live a good life.
My jaw dropped. This one in particular 6th grader was asking questions I usually avoided thinking about in college because I didn’t know an answer and was jaded by so many different biases and opinions dictating spirituality. So I settled for the classic “God knows what’s up and I just put my faith in Christ being who He says He is and who I am.” Then I can go on with my day.
I sat amazed at my 16 year-old allie as he kept spitting off all these answers of things that he has learned over the years. Wow. I was pretty humbled. Not guilty, but cracked down a little bit. Challanged and provoked to think a little more about such things.
Who would have thought that I would have been so thoughtfully provoked my middle school kids. They don’t want to be spoon fed. Perhaps to quiet them and get them to pay attention… we should discuss something that really has meat. Asking questions. Not fearing that they are going to bail out on life. If they know they are loved and they accept that… I don’t think they’ll bail, unless they feel it stronger somewhere else.
We can just keep talking. Asking questions. Finding out answers together. Imagine the impact on some of these young guns, learning how to walk at a younger age, perhaps they won’t bail on church and God when they graduate high school because their youth group experience was laced with questions, learning, and experiencing life in a true form, surrounded by people who love them.
Just some mutterings.
RGE
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