Why is Jesus Youth not eager to organize competitions? (BJRE040)
Why is Jesus Youth not eager to organize competitions?
(By Dr. Edward Edezhath - Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021)
When I paused during the session, one young person said, “But why don’t we have competitions?”. This was during training for ‘Kids Companions’ or young JY who will reach out to children. Among the different things these youth can do, I mentioned teaching them some skills. Then, we started listing some possible skills. Naturally, the discussion went on to skill-related competitions. I said, “Competitions have a very limited scope, and they can also be damaging.” He questioned that.
For many people, youth work means competition.
The parish committee discussed, “Youth Day is coming. What should we do?” Gather the youth, have a talk, and then arrange competitions. Most will not be interested in the talk, but many will come to take part in the contests. And what items? Songs, dance, painting, memory skills, different sports items, etc. Then, have some prizes for the first, second, and third positions.
This approach is now the time-tested style of youth activities in most places. Many parish youth programs or youth clubs limit their work to contests of one type or another. Why do they focus on competitions in youth ministry?
• A quick way to gather youth. Skilled youth will come to win prizes; other youth will gather to watch, especially if the whole thing is interesting.
• Find the best and train to excel. Competitions have helped to spot and promote the best talents in specific fields. Many people sharpen their skills only in a pressurized context of a race. Even in the media, so many contests are gaining popularity because of all these.
• It's rather easy to organize. A small team with some preparation and few expenses can organize a day of many competitions.
• Good publicity. Many small organizations become well known through contests. It is an easy and less challenging way to get attention, giving the impression that something is happening here.
• Interesting and eventful. For a youth organization or for the elders who want to do something for youth, a series of contests can be the best way to keep so many engaged and happy.
When do competitions become damaging?
In our Sunday school, the day of competitions was a big deal. It was a day of great joy when all gathered, many of them to compete and others to watch the fun. Later, it became a routine, and most people lost interest. Then, continuing it was a big burden to the organizers. So, the big question is, how do competitions become harmful?
• They divide and disappoint. You create many losers to find out one or two of the best singers. We are slowly becoming very sympathetic to the experience of those rejected and dejected youth.
• We use narrow scales to measure. In a speech competition, we rank people according to certain rigid standards and indirectly say this is the best communication method. We forget that many simple ways to speak and express ideas exist. In brief, we kill so many approaches and talents.
• Forget the unique beauty. Each person is special and unique in so many ways. Today, there is much talk about different learning styles in children. We are all ‘differently able’, and contests make us overlook that beautiful miracle of God.
• Build a culture of competition. We speak of ‘healthy competition,’ but what is healthy in defeating others? Life does not need to ensure that I am winning and others are losing; it is about living a life of joy and fruitfulness together. That is the counterculture of collaboration, cooperation, or helping one another.
• Undermine love, kindness, and community building. A community is ‘varieties of gifts, varieties of service and varieties of working, all for the common good’ (cf. 1 Cor 12:4-7). If we open our eyes to see everyone's special gift and see how my inadequacy is filled by others, we can build a community as dreamed by the Lord. The dynamics of competition are against all this.
Not competition, but growing in love and as a community
‘Wrong question,’ Jesus seemed to say when he was faced with the question of the competitive spirit, ‘who is best among us?’ (Lk 22:24). In the Jesus Youth movement, no one said, ‘You shouldn’t organize competitions”, but except for some fun events that nobody took seriously, in the movement, there have rarely been any contests to find out the best skills. Yet, even without any contests, skills were noticed and groomed to perfection in an ambiance of encouragement, guidance, and loving support.
Organizations have been created for contests, and they should focus on competitions. But many groups think of competitions when they don’t know what else to do. And it is used as a quick way to engage youth. Though we say that competition brings out the best in a person, what it often brings out in many is negativity, such as jealousy, rivalry, discouragement, and groupism. In many groups, through a culture of competition or specific events of contests, many young ones withdraw in despair, feeling worthlessness, and many others wait for a chance to ‘pay back.’
A very interesting aspect of Jesus Youth is that despite no competitions, there are enough possibilities to compete and fight. As Its groups are not just ‘passive and pious’ and as there are a lot of challenges to action or mission, a spirit of negative competition can easily creep in. However, the saving factor in the movement is its emphasis on interiority, loving fellowship, and actual mission. Those who know Jesus Youth well have discovered how, instead of competition, the love of God, good fellowship, and challenge to the mission can gather youth, help them discover their talents, or lead them to the mission.
“No, when JY works with children, competitions needn’t be the main method to impart skills.” That’s how we concluded the discussion among the Kids Companions. There are numerous skills and ever-new ways to train children. Let’s surely use them!
Topics:
Youth Ministry
Competitions and Jesus Youth
Uniqueness
Youth Guidance
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