麻豆社

Good Morning.

It is difficult not to be encouraged by the imagination and genuine enthusiasm of the thousands of young people who joined the Youth Strike 4 climate protests across the U.K. yesterday.

Inspired by 16 year old Greta Thunberg, from Sweden, who has skipped school every Friday since August to bring people鈥檚 attention to the effects of climate change, this next generation of activists want their voices to be heard.

During an assembly I took yesterday in west London a group of senior girls in support of the national protest gave practical tips to their fellow students on how to make the world a better place during their half term holiday.

Amongst the reasonable demands of the national protestors is the inclusion in the school curriculum of the effects of climate change and, most importantly of all, for young people to have a say in what is, after all, their future.

It is true, isn鈥檛 it, that the gap between young adulthood and the 鈥榝ully fledged version鈥� isn鈥檛 an easy time for many young people. I鈥檝e work closely with lots of schools over three decades of ministry and, since day one, have never ceased to be surprised by the way in which young people articulate their views and tackle complex issues with increasing levels of maturity. Many are visionary, hugely gifted and all have a contribution to make. But are their voices really being heard?

In nearly all biblical literature, the 鈥渄ays of youth鈥� usually refers to an essential part of a journey to full adulthood. It鈥檚 not always easy, either, as the Prophet Jeremiah makes plain but, overall, the prophets and writers of the books known as the wisdom literature conclude that the days of youth are packed with potential.

This theme is characteristically embraced by St Paul when he challenges his younger colleague Timothy not to let his youthfulness hold him back. In fact, Paul advises him 鈥淟et no one despise you for your youth but set the other believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.鈥� He goes on to say that what is needed by the young, above all, is perseverance: if, at first, you are not heard simply because you are young, keep at it and you will be.

I have to agree that the idea of continuing skipping school is not so great but the very nature of yesterday鈥檚 protests reminds us of the existence of these young people. They are not now invisible. Their voices need to be heard as part of a wider debate, and most importantly, as St Paul underlines, by the very nature of their youthful exuberance- they are setting us an example in an area of crucial importance.

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