Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture - 8

Broken Relationships

Walt suggests that to reach students in this culture we must recognize that their world is filled with broken relationships.

One of things that contributes to this brokenness is divorce.

Walt quotes from a book, The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce written by Judith Wallerstein, which is a must read for any youth worker, parent or teacher who knows a student who comes from a divorced home or is divorced.

Here's her stunning find. The impact of divorce isn't known until the student becomes an adult and becomes romantically involved. The brokenness in a sense can't be felt until they feel for themselves what they never saw modeled with their parents.

When I read this book a few years ago I couldn't put it down. Each page I turned I found more of myself as I am a child of divorce. I began to slowly realize that I was broken in places I didn't even know I could be broken in. What's interesting to note is that not many of my friends came from divorced homes. That's not the case for today's teenagers. Several students in our community come from divorced homes, or from homes where mom and dad live as roommates at best.

What will happen when they are 25 and find true love? Where will they discover they are broken? What will they all do with it?

What about students who are growing up in Christian homes and are watching their God-fearing parents sign divorce papers? If Jesus couldn't work to save their parents marriage, how could He possibly save them?

The challenge for us all is to be there to walk alongside of them, in front of them, and sometimes maybe even carrying them. The challenge is to take the time to listen to their whole story and not quote Romans 8:28 as some type of Christian band-aid. The challenge is to live out the story of God's love for them and invite them into a relationship where God wants to be their Abba (their daddy). God is a God who is waiting on the porch looking off in the distance waiting for them to come home. God's longing to complete them and show them a love that never fails. God wants to offer them a peace about their life that surpasses all understanding. Ultimatley, God wants them to know that He will never forsake them.

After we start here, then lets declare the awesome truth of Romans 8:28 and commit to not being one more of the broken relationships these students have when they go off to college and they never hear from us again.