I once attended a series of meetings where in the speaker asked his audience who among them feels the physiologic signs of stress ( diarrhea, insomnia, restlessness, feeling that the world is caving in on them, anxiety, etc.) and almost 75% of the people raised their hands.

I was shocked and disturbed. Why?

Because this question was asked in a youth service where High school and College students attend.

We live in the information age where the information we have  now is five times more compared too the information we have in the last 5 years combined. In the world  where internet,  cellphone, media , etc are very popular and everything happens so fast and everyone wants to have their things their way, instantly and where everything you want to know is on Google, Yahoo (and even in facebook or twitter).

How does the youth cope?

I have listened to more mature people in church and out of church of how the times have changed so fast and that some of them are having difficulty adjusting to the present circumstances. They talked about the “how-it-used-to-be’s” and “the-way-we-did-t hings-before”, sometimes some of them complain about ” I-never-understand-why -now…” these are adults whom I respect, love, who have a bigger perspective in life and whom I look up to but even they say that they are having difficulties in adjusting in our culture, that makes me think how does the youth cope now?

Kids worry about toys, games, sweets (and how I miss those days) , adults worry about the inflation rate, food on the table, the needs and wants of the family, education, values, and the important stuffs, how about the adolescents?

Adolescence came from the Latin word “adolescere” , literally “to grow up”. It is a shock but the “concept of adolescence as a life span is a relatively new idea, being introduced in the social sciences in the past 100  years and was even termed an ‘invention’ of society” (Seabold). The bracket of adolescence is also a concern. Erik Erikson labelled it sometime 12-18 years old (sometimes, some argue to 21 y/o).

In the 1900 adolescence is 14-18 y/o, in the 70’s 13-19  y/o now it begins as early as 11 or 12 (what we now label as tweens) and reaches up to past 20! the bracket becomes bigger.(Chap Clark). It seems that kids want to grow up but when they enter adolescence (what we now call youth) , they refuse to cross over to being ‘adults’. A certain fear, false ideologies or lack of values/character seem to hold them back.

Youth is a time where hormones haywire their system. Where they seek themselves, no longer wanted to be labeled as kids and be independent but subconsciously their actions and their decisions shout otherwise. A time where what they say is most probably not what they meant. Where appearance and people’s view of them are valued. Times where music (and believe me, it really means a lot) is their world. But these are all superficial.

Just this new year’s eve I was watching the re-make of the movie: Fame. My mom was a big fan of the original so I was persuaded to watch it because there was nothing else to watch or do. To my dismay the movie went on with no clear, solid, unique, catchy plot or story line except that they represent the youth right now. Kids from broken families, who has the feeling deep with in them that they are made for something larger. self-centered, angry, passionately lost, purpose-seeking, wanting to break the “tradition’ that so long enslaved them.

My heart broke. Like every human being, race and age the heart problem of the youth is SIN.

Sin distorted their reflecting image of God making them use their God-given potential to waste. Sin distorts the values they absorb and believe. The separation from God caused them the purpose-seeking, identity-searching, freedom -striving attitude that they have.

How do we view the  youth?

I view them (me included,hehe) as the next generation, the people whom your sons and daughters will grow up to be with. The next society. I see in them great potential, abounding talent, innovative ideas. Most of the time these innovative ideas are what leads them to trouble and being labeled as “weird” or “rebellious”. These are the people who needs guidance, who needs someone to listen to them.

I truly believe that  if  Jesus were the influential person the bible says He is then he will be able to connect with the youth in no time.

The Good news is the solution to sin does not change and is made available to them: Jesus.

But the way we deliver the message makes the difference.

They need someone to accept their music (korean, hip-hop, emo, etc.) the way they appear ( jejemon, konyo, etc..) someone to look past their loud superficials and reach them with grace-filled eyes.

The drug dealers, fraternities, sororities, media, MTV, Lady Gaga, Ellen, Justin Beiber; Edward, Bella and Jacob (the new youth trinity), Katniss, Peeta are stealing them.

They need Jesus. the love, life, purpose and grace he gives.

And I stand for them. I’m including the young professionals.

The youth needs guidance.

The youth needs mentors.

The youth needs love.

The youth needs the right theology to push the prevalent me-ology and wrong ideologies.

Youth leaders need leaders.

The youth needs godly parents.

The young profesisonals need mature men and women.

We need you. We dare you to cross our boundaries, the way Jesus crossed heaven to earth.

We are the next politicians who will pass the laws of the future.

We are the innovators.

We are the culture changers.

We are the voice of the nation.

We are the hope you’ve been saying of (as Rizal says in his famous lines).

We are your inheritance.

Please don’t look at our misfits , mistakes, long,  untidy hairs, pimples or even our achievements (or failures), but hear us out. Not our music or our emotion-driven responses, but our cry for help, assistance and guidance. Before the laws, give us love.

We need Jesus.

We need you.