“Be active and diligent in doing everything. Learn ell, so that if tomorrow you are put in charge, you’ll know what to do.”
(Bl. Joseph Allamano)
The scotching sun is just about to set and the long tedious day over. We are in small packs walking home after a youth seminar at Thangathe, a local church attached to Sagana parish, but yet have to cross the Sagana River using a small boat, the only available means in the vicinity.
My walking mates are three ladies, Ann, Njeri and Lucy, and a gentleman, Ken who seemly out of curiosity dominates the chatting. He has several questions sandwiched in crazy and funny remarks that not only made the long journey short, but also attracted more quasi participants. At one point he even contemplated walking bare feet since he could not bear the pain of seeing his ‘new’ pair of shoes attacked massively by the dirt in the rocky and sandy soil.
Ken, who finished his High School education the previous year and secured a place in the university, wondered loudly why the youths are always referred to as the leaders of tomorrow and not now. Others nodded violently in agreement, with all eyes on my direction!
He further exclaimed that it’s unfair to be viewed in terms of tomorrow and not of now. “As if today am just to relax and wait for tomorrow so that I may be the mkongoidhia wa Kangai (the leader of Kangai, another local church), or to just be there, period! Not to meddle in church’s affairs until tomorrow dawns, decked with leadership!”
Then Lucy interjected immediately on how she feels they have been set aside to dance to the tune of the elders in the church. She feels the elders have much power and say in the church. She painfully grumbled of excessive control from ‘those people’. She feels that they have been given a raw deal, and are never listened to, let alone supported materially. She feels they are not important and are beasts of burden. She feels empty with nothing to do apart from the liturgical dance, which is also being grabbed away from them by the Pontifical Missionary Children, PMC. She feels rejected in the church and wants to fight for a place and for her that’s the prime reason she attends the youth group. A glimpse on her face reveals a disappointed personality, a deem-light about to extinguish, a potentiality that has been trampled upon by the very institution which should feed her with hopeful enterprises for the day and the future.
‘Do you want to fill up the duty of the parish chairman, or what?’ Ann shoots the question that sends the rest into disarray. A thin silence filled the air. Hardly had I gathered my arsenal than Njeri, who was apparently silent all the way, chipped in. ‘surely not that big role, but wewe huoni tumebaguliwa hata kwa church?
The bone of contention revolved on the role of the youth in the church. Their function or importance amidst the people of God, how they actualize their faith and their intention both of attending church functions and for participating in the youth groups, a pastoral structure of the Church to unite and form the youths.
Thank God, Ken ignited this issue that sent many into a discussion that helped them open up their hearts, a beginning of a journey into understanding and conversion.
Three months down the line, Sr. Rachel, by then in charge of the youth apostolate in Sagana parish, outlined four topics for the Youth Enrolment Day. Coincidentally, one of them was on this controversial issue after the Thangathe Seminar: the role of the youth in the Church today.
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses…’ Acts 1:8 tells it all. This is the prime duty of all the members of the church; children, teenagers, adults and elderly alike. To witness in their way of life to the gospel values brought and lived by Jesus Christ. This is not done in a vacuum, rather within the very institution instituted by Christ himself and the Spirit as her advocate, the church. Now, the youth, a special part of the flock, are not left asunder in this God-given task.
Baptismal slumber
Back to Ken and the group, I inquired whether they were baptized persons. ‘Definitely!’ was Ken’s response. The same response came from Lucy and a good number of those present during the walk. ‘Our baptismal consecration is the basis of this witness’, I continued, ‘…a gratuitous gift from God to join his family.’
In the biological family, the Mother Nature allocates each member specific duties and responsibilities proper to one’s faculties. In most cases, the parents provide the basic needs while their offspring, the family’s hope, have their part to play, too; either to be faithful at school, or other house-hold chores. Under such diversity in duties and responsibilities arises the family’s dignity and prosperity in the society. The same phenomenon takes place in the church, even though it is a large institution with many families merging together for a purpose. The youth, like the offspring in the family, are the custodians of the Church’s hope dignity and prosperity here on earth.
However, this is a hard nut to crack. Today, conflicts emerge when comforts try to outdo happiness, haves and looks try to outdo real personality (being), personal ambitions try to outdo communal love, and God is rendered an Internally Displaced Phenomenon, IDP, in one’s life and the Now Generation outdoing the process of discernment in making serious decisions and choices.
The fundamental role for the youth in the church is to try to counter this worldly mentality that forms the fabric of our society. To witness to the truth and in so doing give life to our baptismal consecration. It is a call to share in the priesthood of Christ, by prayer life; a call to share his kingly ministry, lead a way of life that teach others the gospel values; and finally a call to share in his prophetic ministry, a sign of hope in the church and among fellow youth.
In this world mentality, this would sound a loud joke, a disagreeable phenomenon, a deep wound in the search of identity, appreciation and consolation; hence the heavy demands of other roles set aside for the other part of the flock, a fantasy lifestyle, war with the church’s structures, and a blockage of creative witness to the Lord just as youth.
God is present amongst us, the youth, and this flame of faith should light in our daily affairs, not awaiting tomorrow rather acting now, because together with St. Peter, God tells us today that, ‘you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light…’ (1 Peter 2:9)
(this article was published in the CN magazine, a Consolata missionary novitiate`s magazine)
