Reflections on Jesus Youth (BJRE***)

We need joyful, messy places to build a culture of love. (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2023) We visited this family. The house was so gracefully arranged, and I commented, “So beautiful! Everything so tastefully set!” But the young Shalini’s response was quite surprising. "Imagine the torture of growing up in such a well-ordered home!" is too much order the biggest enemy of freedom, love, and growth? I think Jesus loved open spaces. Some of his teachings were in synagogues, but most activities were near the seashore, hillside, crowded places, or ordinary homes. This must have been quite unusual. Even today, people don’t think of such places for important teachings.  I think Our Lord opted for these ordinary, messy settings even for his birth and death because that is nearer to most people's real life. They were scenes of chaos and confusion, but his love, mercy, and divine presence worked marvelous miracles. Are we scared of messiness? From the ...

Build recesses of love and joy! (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021)  We don’t easily forget some childhood games. Building a playhouse and gathering there with neighborhood friends was one of my favorite pastimes. Using twigs and palm leaves, we would build a spacious two-room hut in the corner of the backyard, decorate it tastefully, and all the neighborhood children would gather and spend days there. Bringing in some food, sitting and chatting, and reading books together all would add to that special experience. In youth training, sometimes I have used the same approach. One I remember was at Mercy College, Palakkad. At the start of the three-day seminar, I divided them into groups of 10, assigned each group a corner of the big hall, and told them to decorate the place as nicely as possible. They quickly made plans and ran out to get sheets, branches, nice pictures, and so on to decorate their little corner. During the rest of the seminar, the group met...

JY is all about striving for a new world order Eagerness to welcome God's Kingdom is the foundation of JY’s life and mission (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021) Wednesday gatherings after our prayer meeting used to be quite fascinating. By 6 pm, the prayer meeting would be over. Then, for about 30 minutes, everyone would move around in free fellowship and interaction. By that time, others would gradually come in for another discussion meeting. At different times, these 6.30 pm sittings became fertile settings for different socially relevant plans and projects to take shape. At one point, it was ‘City Alive,’ then ‘Colony Outreach,’ another was ‘Peace on Earth,’ again ‘Grace Land’ idea development, and so on and on. But they were all Jesus Youth brainstorming on getting involved in the wider society. To share one of these memories, Babu, James, Rupesh, Dominic, Shaji, and a host of other JY would begin the 6.30 session with prayer and then go on into their...

Here, they learn the beauty of joyful praise. Get trained in Jesus Youth for our first vocation in life - to praise God (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021) “Maybe you always went to Church to fulfill your wishes, but not here.” Fr. Marcelino used to train us to participate in a prayer meeting. “Here you come to lift Jesus high, praise Him, and glorify His Name. This is preparing for and getting a foretaste of what you will be doing in heaven through all eternity.”  This was something quite new and exciting. Of course, we had heard about praising God in an introductory retreat but making it a habit required patient guidance and a circle of friends who lived in that new culture. Before this, prayer was mostly repeating prayers, a counting challenge, or fervently wishing to get something done. Praise practice was so different; it became about celebrating God’s presence. A brand-new culture of joy in the Lord The earliest retreat for college youth was held in...

Cultural Mixing in Jesus Youth Groups Can Be Exciting! A multicultural approach is truly at the heart of the missionary fervor of Jesus Youth (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021) “Your youth groups are a nice blend — from cities and villages, English and vernacular-speaking, college youth and uneducated, fashionable and ordinary. You use western songs and local tunes, and all feel part of it.” This was Manuel from Madras, who visited us in the early days of Jesus Youth and was struck by the cultural variety. In his place, city and rural youth gathered separately, with different songs and prayer styles. Interestingly, those culturally divided groups eventually disappeared, while Jesus Youth drew strength from its multicultural approach and kept growing. Being inclusive is a long and challenging journey — but one that the Father of all diversity calls us to take. More than ever, this approach is becoming crucial everywhere. What Is Being Culturally Inclusive? In...