Wow! Such a long time I haven’t been here-sorry. Many things happend last time. It was realy hrd time for me, and actually still is But I do belive, that God will make everything just great! When  you are in troubles every little thing has a big meaning, every singel detail can make you nervous or smile for a while. This what helps me in hard times, beyond pray of course, is music. Song of Ray Charles “Hard times”, or Lizz Wright “Walk with me. Lord” are very precious for me. For these few minutes I’m out of the world. I close my eyes and falling into the music, music which is a prayer in the same time. Maybe you also has you own healling music?

This is a series of blog posts concerning youth participation. The articles will be published every Tuesdays in the coming 7 weeks.

Before looking into the passage, try to ask yourself which of the following statements best describes your view on youth participation.

1. Youth participation is not very much a pressing issue. Youth will become older and by then they will still meaningfully participate in the church. Somehow by then it will be the better timing for them to participate after they have gained more experience.

2. Youth participation sometimes just does not make sense. Why should we engage those youths? You know, some of them are just naïve, arrogant and lack of experience. What is the point to include them when we have all kinds of experts?

3. Engaging a certain number of youth is essential. But it should not be pushing higher and higher. For instance, 10% of youth in an international meeting is already reasonable. Given the fact that not many of them speak, what is the point for having more?

             Even if you may accuse me of betraying the youth, I could not entirely disagree with the above statements. In some cases, those views are partially right while in many cases they were being used as an excuse for delaying and impeding youth participation. 

            One fundamental understanding should be made clear. Encouraging youth participation is not a choice. As it is clear in the bible that church should be inclusive to women and man, lay and ordained and young and old. One cannot decide whether to promote youth participation by conducting a cost-and-benefit analysis. It does not work that way. 

            Although I believe meaningful youth participation is essential for a church to grow healthily, it often gives rise to a handful of challenges before bearing fruits. For instance, When a church try to engage a youth representative in its council, the elders soon realized that it hampers the ‘efficiency’ of decision making as the youth often see things differently (But it is exactly why we should engage the youth)

            Engaging youth may not bring immediate benefit to the churches but more challenges to be dealt with. It could be one of the major reasons why youth participation is always being put at the bottom of the agenda. 

             However, it is clear that no single group should monopolize the governance of the church as all are called by God to serve him and build His church. Striving toward a more inclusive communion is a mandate for the church. It is not an option.

Hope - what do we hope for? How can churches talk about hope in an often hopeless situation? What relevance has Christian hope in the daily struggles, in political decisions?

These are some of the questions that are being explored in an essay contest for young adults sponsored by the Conference of European churches. It is connected to the theme of their next assembly: Called to One Hope in Christ.

Here is much more information about the contest and the interesting prices.

Whom do the tribals in Orissa belong? Christians Pastors say that “tribal people belong to us”. Since they don’t have any culture, they are illiterate and ignorant people, so Christ wants to make them good people. On the other hand, the Hindu Saints proclaim that,”the tribal people or the ‘adivasi’ belong to us. They are foolish people often lured by the Christians. If they are not brought back, the Hindu religion will perish slowly”.

In the midst of this dispute, where are the tribals? Whether the Temple or in the Church? Often the tribals say, “We also have our own culture, caste and religion”. But this gets suppressed by the Holy books of the Hindus and the Bible of the Christians.

‘Adivasi’ eat beef, slaughter buffaloes. They believe in love marriage of young people. They worship the nature as their God and Goddesses. The local wine plays a very important part during their festivals. But the Bishops advice the tribals to forsake drinking liquor, and to come the Church. Meanwhile the Hindu Saints order them not to slaughter Cows. But these are some of the main traditions of ‘adivasi’ culture.

During the time of justification, the Christian Fathers justify that ,“due to lack of education, the tribals have been practicing human sacrifices, believe in black-magic, were not coming to Hospitals but we educated them, helped them to get away from those practises, also taught them to wear clothes and supported them to face the outer world”. In contrast to this, the Hindu Saints keep claiming, “we have helped a lot for the upliftment of the Tribals by providing them with educational facilities”.

In between such a cold war, the victims are the innocent tribals.There have been tribal leaders to revolt for their rights but it has never been heard that, “Our tradition, religion and culture is independent. The decision to convert either to Hinduism or Christianity must be our right, and that it should not be a political issue”. So we are still waiting for such a voice to rise up……

Whom do the tribals in Orissa belong? Christians Pastors say that “tribal people belong to us”. Since they don’t have any culture, they are illiterate and ignorant people, so Christ wants to make them good people. On the other hand, the Hindu Saints proclaim that,”the tribal people or the ‘adivasi’ belong to us. They are foolish people often lured by the Christians. If they are not brought back, the Hindu religion will perish slowly”

In the midst of this dispute, where are the tribals? Whether the Temple or in the Church? Often the tribals say, “We also have our own culture, caste and religion”. But this gets suppressed by the Holy books of the Hindus and the Bible of the Christians.

Adivasi’eat beef, slaughter buffaloes. They believe in love marriage of young people. They worship the nature as their God and Goddesses. The local wine plays a very important part during their festivals. But the Bishops advice the tribals to forsake drinking liquor, and to come the Church. Meanwhile the Hindu Saints order them not to slaughter Cows. But these are some of the main traditions of ‘adivasi’ culture.

During the time of justification, the Christian Fathers justify that,“due to lack of education, the tribals have been practicing human sacrifices, believe in black-magic, were not coming to Hospitals but we educated them, helped them to get away from those practises, also taught them to wear clothes and supported them to face the outer world”.
In contrast to this, the Hindu Saints keep claiming, “we have helped a lot for the upliftment of the Tribals by providing them with educational facilities”.

In between such a cold war, the victims are the innocent tribals.There have been tribal leaders to revolt for their rights but it has never been heard that,“Our tradition, religion and culture is independent. The decision to convert either to Hinduism or Christianity must be our right, and that it should not be a political issue”. So we are still waiting for such a voice to rise up……