YOUTH WORK AND SUFFERING
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!