Friday: The Kingdom Primarily a Youth Movement
WEEK 9
FRIDAY
THE KINGDOM PRIMARILY A YOUTH MOVEMENT
Luke 9:59-62
We have been meditating on the mastery of the conflict between the younger and the older generation. It has been said that the conflict is resolved by making old age creative. The Holy Spirit brings into life an eternal youth—a rejuvenation—so youth and old age meet in a common life and a common outlook. They are both given to the same loyalty—the kingdom of God—and the kingdom is the most radical conception ever presented to the mind of humanity and the greatest challenge ever confronting our creative longings. When given to that, both youth and old age cannot help coming together in a common endeavor for change.
Note that youth seeing visions is mentioned before elders dreaming dreams. The emphasis is on youth. The Christian movement is a youth movement. Jesus was a young man when he lived and died for his cause.
But the moment I say that I know the reaction of youth; it disclaims the right of eminent domain in the kingdom. This was seen in one of our Ashrams when we asked the youth to bring a message to the older generation. The older had always advised “youth,” now let youth speak to the older. They brought in a series of recommendations, and the first one was this, “We suggest that the older generation not lose confidence in itself by always saying, ‘We’ve got to look to youth and turn the job over to them.’ No, we’ve got to work it out together.” When we asked youth to be radical, it turned conservative. When we suggested control, it suggested cooperation. That will almost invariably happen.
The angel speaking to Zechariah about the birth of John and seeing the meaning of the movement of change which the Baptist would inaugurate said, “He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children, . . . He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
One would have thought that he would have said, “Turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers”—make the children conservative. No, it was to make the fathers radical—that was the remedy.
O Divine Lord, you entrusted to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Creation, the carrying on of your work; help us to trust the tasks of the kingdom to youth. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I align myself to that which is alive; I shuffle off dead thoughts, dead customs.