Ouch, Truth Hurts
From an Interview with Tony Campolo by Kara Powell, director of Youth Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Full interview via iTunes here.
I find most youth workers haven't a clue as to what macro economics is all about and how macro economic factors influence the poverty, and create the poverty in third world countries. They don't understand why third world peoples are angry with America...They hate a powerful country that is able to control international trade in such a way as to increase poverty in third world while it aggrandizes itself. Those insights into how things operate on the macro level and how macro factors in politics and in economics in third world countries and in our own country foster poverty are totally beyond the comprehension of most youth workers and that's a very sad thing indeed...
That means that in reality what is generated is pity, instead of anger. They should be angry at what is being done to these people by forces that are beyond their control...
I think [youth workers] need to know that young people don't know what's going on in the world...They [teenagers] have become so overly nationalistic under the auspices of the religious right that they cannot see anything wrong with America...The reality is that of the twenty two industrialized nations the United States is dead last in the proportion of it's national budget it assigns to helping the poor and the third world...
Kara Powell: What would you say to the youth worker, who isn't just dealing with kids who are nationalistic but parents who are [nationalistic][Campolo interrupts]...
Campolo: Point blank, I am not impressed with youth workers. I find that they don't know what's going on in the world. That youth work becomes a matter of fun and games. When I go the National Youth Workers Convention I get more depressed every year. Because what I find is what the youth workers are really interested in is techniques. They don't want to deal with issues. They don't want to deal with the hard nosed facts of what is going on in the world. And when anything is said that causes questions to be raised about the role of the United States in fostering third world poverty, literally, this is literal, they get up and walk out. And when youth workers are that way I don't see much hope for kids. As a matter of fact I think that MTV may do more to help kids be sensitive to the needs of what is going on in the world than youth workers. If you are asking me, who is turning more people onto poverty, it's Bono of U2, rather than youth workers. Youth workers are pressured into maximizing big turn outs at the youth gatherings at their churches. That doesn't usually come by making them sensitive to the needs of the poor and the oppressed.
8 comments:
Is youth ministry now about the economic power (good and bad) of the U.S., or the economic struggle of the 3rd world countries around the world? Mr. Campolo is saying more than ""we need to educate the next generation about the world wide poverty that exists."" He is beating up (in my opinion) the efforts of y.w.'s to battle the overwhelming culture of America while attempting to teach Jesus to teenagers. Youth today are more aware of poverty than I was 20 years ago, and Bono has helped that campaign, but the y.w. that is sharing Jesus to young people is doing a great work, and Bono is fighting a war against poverty that has always existed and will always exist. Should Bono and the world not fight against poverty? No, that is absurd. But to belittle the minister who works with kids and increasing God's Kingdom, and does not have the knowledge of Macro Econ. is going too far.... in my opinion.
I agree with TC's criticisms. If youth ministry is to draw teens closer to Christ then it should endeavor to draw them into the heart of Christ. His heart is for the poor and the suffering of both body and spirit. The overwhelming culture seems to at times also overwhelm youth ministry. Jesus was a servant not a gamer.
Of particular note I think is TC's comments regarding the pressure yw are under to draw numbers to big events. Sometimes it seems this event minstry becomes the focus-that kids "active" in ministry by showing up for stuff is an acceptable substitute or measure of kids being truly engaged in the Kingdom.
and that ministers would walk out on a discussion of poverty because the US is up for scrutiny is so distressing...I would be furious to see priority given to American allegiance over the needs of God's children.
My first thought when I read this post was that, "It's a good thing J-Wild isn't one of THOSE youth workers and how blessed his kids are to have a minister so passionate about the poor." But, then I read coachbundy's comments and I agree with him. It does seem as though TC is beating up the efforts of many youth workers who have so much pressure on them to bring in the "numbers".
And then I read Elizabeths's comment. Elizabeth- your wisdom regarding youth is profound. As a parent, I strive to teach my children about "the heart of Christ." (And sometimes do a lousy job!!!)I don't want them to do it because they have to or because I'm making them. I want them to be truly "engaged in the Kingdom" as you say. I don't want them to just show up. I want them to care.
The more I think on it, the more I'm angry that TC would blame the youth worker for this. Isn't it the job of the parents to instill in our children a heart like Jesus??? Maybe he should be criticizing me instead.
"Feed the poor and they will call you a saint. Ask why they are poor and they will call you a communist." -Dorothy Day, 1933 - Catholic Worker Movement
Byron:
I find it interesting that the church often uses Jesus words of "The poor you will always have with you." in Mark 14:6 as a cover for the church to accept the existence of poor people in the world. Of course that quote doesn't end with a period, but a comma. The second half says, "...and you can help them [the poor] any time you want. But you will not always have me."
It is an egregious misuse of scripture to say that Jesus was somehow saying that poverty is inevitable and therefore acceptable. But Christians and churches do it all the time as a means to say that the world is corrupt and nothing can be done about that.
Erin and Byron, I hear what you are saying. Why should TC fault something that is good (ym who take kids on mission trips, or churches helping the poor) just because it isn't done to it's absolute best degree.
The key to this is in the line where TC says we should be returning from these trips not with pity in our hearts, but with anger. And when you are angry then you can become agents of change. True parents have to engender a generous attitude in their children, but Jesus was so much more than just charity. As a YM I am charged with trying to articulate a clear picture of who Christ is, and what following him is like. Christ had pity, sympathy, and compassion for the poor and the sinners. AND He was angry, frustrated, and confrontational with the pharisees because of how they used their power to oppress people.
Read Matthew 12:1-16 in light of what TC said. I have normally taught on those scriptures by saying God doesn't want us to be spiritually legalistic. Which is fine, nothing wrong with that. But what about if I taught it that Christ wanted us to do what is good for the poor no matter what. Even if it means we had to break the law or stand up to the structures that wouldn't meet the needs of the poor (Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men, it is the music of a people...) sorry got a little distracted!
Our generation must find its way in all of this. The church is far from powerless when it comes to doing something about poverty. Entire Presidential elections have been determined on what Christian people think about abortion, gay marriage, and the like. The church can and absolutely should do something about what Bono calls STUPID poverty. That's poverty where basic needs like clean water, basic medical care, and food go unmet to such a degree that 33,000 kids under five die from it everyday. I think TC is telling me that Jesus doesn't just think of this as being stupid, it makes him angry and He wants to start turning over some tables in the temple because of it!
i think it's interesting that in one place jesus says that the poor will always be around--but he won't. then in another place he says that he is the poor people (matthew 25:37-40).
speaking of "our generation", have you heard of this book? x saves the world (http://www.jeffgordinier.com/x-saves-the-world/)
regardless of whether it's possible or not, i intend to be a part of putting an end to poverty. a call to anger isn't my approach, but to each their own. i just don't think it's attractive, and i think you want to attract people to your causes.
Kel:
Don't you think that it's only when people get angry about the senselessness of this extreme poverty that things will be done to change or address it? I can't think of an emotion that causes more motivation for change on the scale we are talking about than that.
I have heard of the book, and I love the premise. Babybooms screwed the world up, and the do nothing Gen-X'ers are going to undo some of the damage. Sign me up.
i think anger is more often a paralyzing emotion than a motivating emotion. i think compassion is a more motivating emotion than anger. i think people think of compassion as being warm and fuzzy, but i like the idea of compassion meaning with passion. like how communion means with unity. i think a call to passionate action is more attractive (than a call to anger) which i think will be more effective. i have to say though, the truth isn't always attractive. tc is reporting what he's seen. i have no issue with his anger in response to what he's seen. but i don't mean to focus on anger. i think the focus should be his proposal for us to make people sensitive to the needs of the poor and the oppressed. so how do we foster sensitivity? i think through education (like he said) and through humility.
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