The Choice is Ours

We are calling today Youth Sunday at St. Patrick’s. It’s a day on which we place a special focus upon young people, especially as worship leaders, and celebrate the ministry that younger people have to offer within our community of faith. I think a lot of parishes plan a "Youth Sunday" every year out a vague sense of guilt that they don’t value or appreciate young people enough the rest of the year. I’m sure that is not true at St. Patrick’s, but I think it is true that, in general, particularly in the past, the church has not valued non-adults very much and has not encouraged their full participation in the life of the church.

Again, I would never accuse any specific individual of these feelings, but many adults really would just as well younger people were not included in the church’s worship. And if it is an unfortunate necessity that they be here, then we’ll grit our teeth, hide our disapproval, and pray that they grow up as fast as possible, so that they may take a "proper" place in the service. Another group of adults may not disapprove of young people’s presence, but they hardly value it. These adults see young people as half-people, half-Christians, not bad, but not really worthy of notice or recognition. Disapproval, intolerance, indifference—these are the attitudes that adults often show towards young people in the church. And beyond the church. Disapproved of, barely tolerated, blithely ignored… this is the life of the not-yet-adult. Why, then do so many adults say they long to be young again? Do we, all of us who are older than teenagers, really wish to be marginalized again? Do we really wish to become again the victims of intolerance and indifference? Oh, to be young, we say with wistful yearning. If only I were young again…

Certainly one thing those of who are older do envy in the younger ones among us is energy and physical vitality. We long for the days when our joints did not creak and ache, and we could read without doing the arm-stretch or searching for our reading glasses. Yet I think there is something deeper and more profound that we envy in the young. It is their latent potential, the possibilities that exist ahead of them, the freedom they possess to chart and explore their future, the rich abundance of choices that lie before them. I have been thinking of this in particular during this season of graduations. I am somewhat troubled by high school seniors who claim, at least, to already know what their majors are going to be and to be locking themselves into a specific path to a specific profession with specific salary expectations. Thank God most of them will change their minds several times along the way (no matter how sure they think they are now). Surely one of the richest features of being young is the freedom to explore among a great breadth of choices that lie ahead. Every day free to choose this path or that one, free to choose any future. Freedom to choose… this is the glory of youth.

For those of us who are older, where has it gone, that glorious freedom? What has happened to all of those choices? How did we lose that abundant freedom of choice?

We have not lost our freedom. Our choices are not gone. No one has taken our choices away from us, except perhaps we ourselves. If we feel bound or limited by responsibilities, by circumstances, by obligations, that is only by our own choice. If we think our vision is failing, it is really only our imagination that is limited. If we think our opportunities are limited, it is really only our courage to pursue those opportunities that is lacking. If we really think that there is "no point at our age" pursuing new choices in life, then we have let apathy and indifference stifle our God-given curiosity and creativity. Imagination, courage, curiosity, creativity… these do not diminish with age. Unless we choose to beat them down.

Each of us, no matter what age, faces and makes hundreds of choices every day. Those of us who are adults often choose the unimaginative, cowardly, or destructive option and then lament the fact that our lives are not as vibrant or as hopeful as the lives of the young. This time of year you or I, who are older, might be sad to see a young graduate turn away from his potential or limit her opportunities. Similarly, I think God must be sad to see any of us at any time turn away from our potential, stifle our imagination or creativity, or ignore our opportunities. I think God must be particularly distressed when adults let their lives wither. After all, we are old enough to know better.

Listen to some marvelous words from Deuteronomy, part of that portion of Scripture that is the deepest foundation of our faith. The Lord speaks to the people of God, "Surely this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away…" No matter who you are, how old you are, what the circumstances of your life are, "the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe."

The Lord says, "I call heaven and earth to witness today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you…" Choose life.

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