Jesus was a youth, Christians told
-15/05/05
Young people at the thirteenth Conference on World Mission and Evangelism have issued a stirring call to the churches to recognize them as the future of the Gospel. And they have claimed that Jesus would be one of them, if he were around now in his earthly life.
Speaking to 600 church and mission leaders gathered in Athens, Greece, from 105 countries, the young participants asked, ìHow old was Jesus when he first delivered his message?î
They explained: ìAccording to World Council of Churches standards he would have been considered a youth. He would have been placed into a special category, offered a pre-conference, and received a lovely misspelled T-Shirt.î
To the embarrassment and amusement of CWME organizers and participants, the helpersí shirt reads ëStewartí. In a lighter moment, one of the young people told Ekklesia that none of their number bore that name, ìmoreís the pityî.
The young people continue: ìIn our minds there is a conference after this conference that takes place in our homes and in our communities where we are expected to carry on the message received here. We appeal to you to overcome barriers of communication between the different church traditions and to continue praying for the other churches and our common witness to the world.
ìWe also appeal to you to continue to stand up, to take position and action against the various forms of violence in the world. It is our task to confront challenges like the HIV-pandemic, domestic violence and ecological violence with one inter-confessional voice; and to repent wherever our churches do not resist violence.
ìWe remind you of the WCC goal of 25% youth participation in every major event, but clearly we have failed to reach this goal here in Athens for only 5% of this conferenceís participants are youth, and they have not played an active role.
ìIn eight months time we have a great opportunity to change this trend – for the focus of the (WCC) general assembly in Porto Allegre is on youth! We challenge you to listen to the young people of your communities and give them the chance to contribute to the ecumenical mission.
ìYoung people are important participants in their home communities and therefore young delegates are crucial in delivering fresh messages all around the world and acting as a bridge between discussion and action.î