Spiritual Service and the Spiritual Servant (8)
Spiritual Service and the Spiritual Servant (8)
Youth Care
In our concern for youth, our care for them must be comprehensive: spiritual, cultural, social, athletic, and recreational as well. We must deal with them while considering their psychology, intellect, and the nature of their age. In this regard, we place before us the following points:
- The rise in the current cultural level. We are now in the age of computers and the Internet—an era in which the cultural and intellectual level of the entire generation has risen. Therefore, the curricula we offer to youth cannot remain at the same level as before. If the Church does not provide youth with what satisfies them intellectually and spiritually, they will stop attending, claiming that they gain no benefit. Hence, we must focus on preparing youth servants.
A youth servant must have specific characteristics: a charismatic personality that serves as an example to the young; broad knowledge and deep understanding in many fields, not only in spiritual matters; the ability to answer any question directed to him in a convincing manner; and a good understanding of youth psychology and their problems. He must also be patient and not easily irritated by what young people may say or do during adolescence. He should not be rigid in his ideas, relationships, or understanding of matters.
Youth, at their age, prefer dialogue over rote instruction. Rote learning may suit childhood, though even children today question and discuss rather than accept everything blindly. How much more should youth be allowed to question!
Young people need to be convinced by the information presented to them, even if these are basic truths or assumptions in the teacher’s eyes. They often compare religion with what they know from scientific theories, so the youth servant must study the relationship between science and religion—or at least learn to handle such issues competently.
The same applies to doctrinal issues raised by other Christian denominations that require strong and convincing responses. Here, the youth servant must study comparative theology and comparative religion, keeping before him the verse: “Be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15). In this way, he provides youth with deep understanding and firm steadfastness against doubts.
Youth dislike closed-mindedness in thinking. You cannot confine them to a circle that you yourself are convinced of. They want to ask questions; you cannot simply tell them, “This is forbidden” or “This is spiritually unacceptable,” without explaining why. Be assured that what you convince them of intellectually will be more deeply rooted in both their mind and heart.
Take, for example, television. If you tell a young person it is forbidden, he will show you programs that you cannot call sinful—some of which are undoubtedly beneficial. Therefore, he must learn to distinguish between what benefits him and what harms him. He should develop self-control, watching only what is useful, and avoiding the rest. Then comes the issue of time—how much time television consumes that could be spent on more beneficial pursuits. You can then discuss with him the importance of balance—how to use time for essential and valuable activities and avoid what is wasteful. By doing this, you will be persuasive, fair, and open-minded. He will feel that you are not forcing him into your own narrow perspective, and that you do not alienate him from the modern world and its inventions, from which we can take what is good and leave what is harmful.
You can similarly discuss with him matters like radio, other forms of art, and reading. This leads us to another point: the cultural aspect of youth life.
What have we prepared for the cultural development of youth? The Church should have a library containing books useful for the culture of youth, as well as for children and adolescents.
The Church, without doubt, focuses on purely religious culture—spiritual books, Bible studies, commentaries, doctrine, theology, Church history, the lives of saints, and liturgical texts. But what prevents us from also having books in general culture?
Youth want to know and to read; they should not be restricted to religious culture alone. If we do not provide them with other kinds of educational books, they will seek them elsewhere—beyond the Church’s guidance and supervision.
We should remember that the early ecclesiastical schools taught philosophy, logic, medicine, and music alongside religious studies. So why shouldn’t our church libraries include cultural books?
We can provide youth with useful reading in many areas, such as health and medicine—books explaining the harms of smoking, drugs, and self-abuse; books on venereal diseases, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension; as well as books on mental and psychological illnesses like fear and anxiety. We can also include books on psychology and sociology.
Why not include encyclopedias and educational series like “How It Works,” medical encyclopedias, and technology guides? These are both informative and entertaining, and reading them keeps the mind busy, protecting it from harmful thoughts.
We can also include books on archaeology, history, and travel—whether Coptic antiquities or world monuments—so that youth may learn about the lives of famous historical figures, their virtues and achievements, and the weaknesses that led some to downfall.
Likewise, we can have books on curiosities and wonders—on butterflies, colorful fish, strange animals, birds, insects, and the virtues of creatures like doves, camels, bees, and ants, as well as animals from hot deserts or icy poles.
In summary, we want to form youth with a sound intellect and complete personality, capable of speaking on any topic with understanding and culture, not “as one of the foolish women speaks” (Job 2:10).
Discovering and Developing Youth Talents: Sometimes devout youth suffer from “free time,” as worldly youth spend their time in amusements that Church youth avoid. As a result, they find themselves idle, which can lead to problems. Here comes the importance of discovering talents.
We must discover and engage youth talents in beneficial ways. Some have talents in music, art, poetry, acting, or storytelling—and many others.
We cannot say that music is forbidden, for Prophet David was accompanied by a great choir of musicians who played his psalms, among them Asaph and Heman. In Psalm 150 he says: “Praise God… Praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dance, praise Him with strings and flute, praise Him with clashing cymbals.” David himself played the harp, the flute, and the ten-stringed lyre, and his music soothed King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23).
Therefore, there is no objection to teaching music to youth. Those with musical talents can form the church choir, singing hymns and spiritual songs, or performing melodies on instruments during celebrations and events outside the liturgical service. Thus, we fulfill their talents within the Church instead of driving them outward.
Similarly, those talented in acting can form a church drama group to perform religious plays, some of which can even be filmed. Many religious films have succeeded, such as Saint George, Saint Anthony, and Saint Abanoub.
On this occasion, it is advised that films about martyrdom avoid showing painful torture scenes, which can distress children—and even adults.
Such projects also open opportunities for young women to design period-appropriate costumes. A film set in the 4th century, for example, requires knowledge of clothing used by kings, soldiers, and common people of that era. Church girls can sew these garments themselves instead of spending large sums of money to buy them.
All props used in plays can be stored in the church’s drama department for future use. In this way, we fill time, utilize talents, and make youth feel that the Church embraces and develops their gifts, giving them space to shine.
Other talents can also be used—such as photography, to film plays; electrical skills, to manage lighting; artistic skills, to paint backgrounds or stage scenery; and talents in stage design and decoration.
In Sacred Art and Bible Study: When we were servants in Sunday School, we used to let youth work on projects during summer, such as building a model of the Tabernacle, studying all its details, crafting its altars, vestments, and vessels—all based on Scripture. This combined art with Scripture, keeping youth engaged in both faith and creativity.
Photography enthusiasts can also be given the chance to document Coptic monasteries, old churches, and sacred artifacts—thus engaging and developing their skills.
Among the aspects of youth care are clubs, parties, and seminars. A church club is important for sports, where youth can release energy and express their love for various athletic activities provided by the Church. However, clubs must be under careful spiritual supervision—regarding schedules (no late-night departures), maintaining peace (no disturbing noise), and mutual behavior. A club without spiritual oversight can cause more harm than good, as youth might learn bad habits within the Church and lose respect for it.
Since youth act naturally in such settings, servants can observe their behavior and address mistakes as learning opportunities. Between activities, there can be short spiritual programs, including a message, a hymn, or a competition.
Trips are also beneficial recreational programs for youth, and their success depends on the destination, program, and discipline throughout the journey. The Church should help cover some costs to make trips affordable for all youth.
Alongside clubs and trips, there should also be seminars, debates, and research projects. Seminars allow multiple speakers to present diverse ideas and styles. Debates set one viewpoint against another, allowing listeners to think critically. Both activities sharpen youth intellect and teach them not to depend on a single opinion or approach.
Research projects encourage youth to gather material from the library and references, and their work can be published in the Church’s youth magazine.
Youth are a sacred trust in our hands—they are the future of the Church. We must care for their health, intellect, psychology, spirituality, and talents. As we have often said: A Church without youth is a Church without a future.
So let us constantly ask ourselves: What have we done for the youth? Let us not judge them, but work for them—for they are our coming generation.
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Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in Watani newspaper, January 30, 2000
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