Read on Twitter
.
Chaplains, ministers or any Christian working with young people:
Do not - I repeat DO NOT - try bullshit these people.
Don’t gloss over hard questions.
Don’t pull pat answers out of your ass.
Don’t patronitse with trite responses.
For the love of God never prooftext.
/1
Chaplains, ministers or any Christian working with young people:
Do not - I repeat DO NOT - try bullshit these people.
Don’t gloss over hard questions.
Don’t pull pat answers out of your ass.
Don’t patronitse with trite responses.
For the love of God never prooftext.
/1
.
If you haven’t done the hard work with the very real issues, problems, worries, hassles and concerns with Christian faith, scripture, history, practice, and politics, then frankly the young people you work with deserve better.
/2
If you haven’t done the hard work with the very real issues, problems, worries, hassles and concerns with Christian faith, scripture, history, practice, and politics, then frankly the young people you work with deserve better.
/2
.
If you exist to proselytise, evangelise, or convert, you aren’t doing the job of a chaplain.
If you think your task is about convincing young minds to think just like yours, you aren’t doing what the calling asks of you.
/3
If you exist to proselytise, evangelise, or convert, you aren’t doing the job of a chaplain.
If you think your task is about convincing young minds to think just like yours, you aren’t doing what the calling asks of you.
/3
.
If you think your ministry is more about the pulpit than the playing field; more about catechism classes than carpark conversations; more about being theological than being there; then you’ve missed the whole point.
/4
If you think your ministry is more about the pulpit than the playing field; more about catechism classes than carpark conversations; more about being theological than being there; then you’ve missed the whole point.
/4
.
If seeing is believing then perhaps allowing students and staff where you are see Jesus in their midst would be a far better way to draw their attention to the reality of God’s love in their midst: at the very least let your words match your actions. EXCEPT...
/5
If seeing is believing then perhaps allowing students and staff where you are see Jesus in their midst would be a far better way to draw their attention to the reality of God’s love in their midst: at the very least let your words match your actions. EXCEPT...
/5
.
...if you’re of the ilk that suggests exclusion due to sexual identity, racism, gender inequality, denominational or other religious (including none) affiliation: In which case please don’t let your actions and your words match. Change both instead. (It’s called repentance).
/6
...if you’re of the ilk that suggests exclusion due to sexual identity, racism, gender inequality, denominational or other religious (including none) affiliation: In which case please don’t let your actions and your words match. Change both instead. (It’s called repentance).
/6
.
As a Chaplain I’m struck numb at the intelligent, beautiful, inquisitive young people I meet who are denied opportunity to know something of the reality of God; but for whom their only vision is a gatekeeper who would prefer to tell than lead, shift blame than shape minds.
/7
As a Chaplain I’m struck numb at the intelligent, beautiful, inquisitive young people I meet who are denied opportunity to know something of the reality of God; but for whom their only vision is a gatekeeper who would prefer to tell than lead, shift blame than shape minds.
/7
.
And for those Chaplains who do the hard yards,
wrestle with the paradox,
think together with their charges,
are willing to learn from them
and grow as a result of their interactions with young people...
/8
And for those Chaplains who do the hard yards,
wrestle with the paradox,
think together with their charges,
are willing to learn from them
and grow as a result of their interactions with young people...
/8
...who care so deeply for them that they know that what Jesus meant when he said “When I was...you...” was “Whenever you do...for these you do it for me” -
what you do matters,
how you care speaks volumes,
and you should never underestimate the difference you make.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙏🏽" title="Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Person with folded hands (medium skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blue heart" aria-label="Emoji: Blue heart">
/end
what you do matters,
how you care speaks volumes,
and you should never underestimate the difference you make.
/end
