Adults must inspire the youth by selfless love
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay
Just a few weeks ago I was in the conference room of the
Vatican Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerants explaining the
situation of street children in the Philippines. This was part of the First
European Pastoral Planning conference on street children. It has taken a
long time for the vatican to give such attention to the children on the
streets There are an estimated 100 million children living on the street
around the world according to UNICEF and 70,000 in Metro manila, Philippines
alone.
How this new concern for the sexually and deprived street children will
translate into to pastoral action by the Bishops conferences and pastoral
initiatives for street children remains to be seen. But every help is
desperately needed. Considering so many Europeans travel to Asia to sexually
abuse young children as young a eight and nine is more than enough reason
for the Church to overcome its own mistakes and failures and learn to
imitate Jesus Christ and protect the helpless and the weakest. We have
enough spent on grandiose buildings and churches to last another century
When we see this and see the billions of dollars spent on the Iraq war where
over 100,000 Iraqis have been slaughtered mostly women and children then the
enormity of human sin, and the basic human and religious value for the
sacredness of human life is denied. How can we deplore the loss of the
unborn through abortion and not weep for the children maimed, decapitated,
shot, starved, bombes and traumatised because of this war? And weep for all
the victims and wounded.
It is ironic that George W. Bush was elected on the strength of a
fundamentalist religious vote when his greatest enemies are also religious
fundamentalists abet Islamic. Such fanatical extremism on both sides, both
claiming God is on their side and both wrong. God is love, caring, live
giving and just in all things. It is neither true Christianity or Islamic.
What we see masquerading as religion is neither Christian nor Islamic.
All religion is directed to achieving union with God, hopefully here in this
life and desperately in the next. Faith alone can bring us the hope of life
hereafter. We can only achieve it by a pure life and a spiritual strength of
the spirit to transcend death and live on in another form.
That striving for strength of spirit and purity of mind and heart is a
lifelong struggle. Jesus offers His way to achieve it through selfless
service, a life of virtue, restraint, prayer, compassion for others and
working for justice for the poor and the oppressed and the whole of creation
is the way to meet god in a direct and person way in this life and hopefully
beyond.
Unless we adults give this example by action and
be seen by young people growing up that we are striving to be truly
Christian by action and not just empty words or occasional Church
going then the youth of this generation will have no inspiration,
motivation, no interest in doing good. They will quickly descend
into drunken disorder and meaningless lives of debauchery and
pleasure seeking in a materialistic world.
We as adults and modern society will have to accept the
responsibility. Don't blame the children, this is the world we have
made or allowed to develop. If it is wrong we have to speak against
it and speak and act for a just and fair world. What action have we
taken recently is a question we need to ask ourselves When the young
see the wars, death and destruction they become depressed and feel
there is nothing evil and life is not worth living. We have to show
love in action with real courageous deeds that are unselfish and
inspiring.
I wrote recently about meeting God in the children especially those
imprisoned. Even though it is allowed, it is ignored in the
Philippines. The rule of law is most respected when the rich and
powerful want to get something for themselves. For the children,
there is hardly any commitment or implementation. A nations progress
and development is judged by the way it treats itıs children and
ours in the Philippines i s a sorry sight.
To meet God and feel what Jesus felt for the poor went once again to
the prisons to set more children free. We have rescued hundreds and
restored them to their families. Throes without families we take
them into our reception youth centre for the start of a new life.
There are now forty living here free, no cells, no guards no gates.
Yet all stay freely and happily. That's amazing that it shows they
are not criminals. By giving respect, affirmation, support and
understanding to them in decency and dignity they can trust and hope
again to be treated as worthy of love and affection. That's the
start of a new life.[End]
