Learning to stand on the shoulders of elders (BJRE052)


 Learning to stand on the shoulders of elders

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2022)

“What, in your opinion, is the crisis of youth leadership today?” a young man posed during the post-dinner open session. This was a weekend training for Jesus Youth student leaders from various universities. “Most of them never learn to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants,’ as the saying goes. Consequently, they either remain too small or start strong and fall away. “

Immature overconfidence

One unforgettable instance involved Peter. He attended a youth seminar, had a profound experience, and was eager to reach out. After a couple of follow-up meetings, he vanished. Of course, he was ‘doing the work of the Lord’ alone while his less talented friends remained regulars in the group. I met Peter a few years later and found him in a very shallow spiritual state. I learned he was utterly lost in a world in which he was unprepared to make a difference. The disconnect took a toll on him.

One issue a new Christian might encounter after receiving the precious gift of a Christ encounter is rushing in too early and too quickly. In their eagerness, they may overlook the importance of deepening their faith and growing spiritually. The Christian life is a journey of discipleship: sitting at Jesus' feet and walking alongside faithful mentors to learn from their examples of following Jesus.

Someone humorously discussed a growing trend of a ‘spiritual cottage industry’ among individuals eager to start their own groups and movements. He referred to leaders who are overly enthusiastic about breaking away from established organizations to pursue independent initiatives. The tragedy is that if these new entities are not organically linked to the parent organizations and movements, they will miss the opportunity to share in the growth journey that inspires them. Without this development, they will either remain insignificant or quickly fade away.

Remaining tall and seeing far

The renowned English scientist Isaac Newton stated, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." Every remarkable individual builds upon the knowledge of those who are more experienced. An English poet further elaborated, “The dwarf sees farther than the giant when he has the giant's shoulder to mount on. " Thus, by walking alongside experienced elders, you may even outshine them at times.

Children love sitting on the shoulders of elders, proclaiming, “I am taller than all of you." Likewise, kids on each other’s shoulders can see more clearly in crowded places. A journey of personal and community growth is quite similar. To gain a broader perspective, you must climb on the shoulders of someone strong who is willing to support you. What is the secret to standing tall in your faith life? How do you achieve a vision that is clear and far-reaching? Depend on solid individuals and traditions to build your faith life upon. In doing so, you create a balanced and mature personal and community life. 

Finding strong shoulders to stand on

Who are the giants on whose shoulders we can climb and stand?

One of the early formative Jesus Youth experiences was the annual two—to three-week National summer camps we held in Bangalore. Numerous eminent spiritual leaders attended these camps. One of our animators, Alicekutty, insisted that all young leaders never miss that rare opportunity to engage closely with them. This has been extremely important, as a great tragedy of our times is that most people never encounter giants—men and women of superior mental and spiritual capabilities. You grow only by meeting grown-up people!

One beautiful culture in the movement is the dynamics of helping youth be close to people of intellectual and spiritual stature. Most Jesus Youth groups and ministries continue to interact with significant elders, be they clergy, religious, or other mature faithful. The movement always encourages having an ‘eldering’ relationship with a significant senior person.

Apostle Paul, when speaking of building strong communities, mentions the importance of building “upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" (Ep 2:20). Having good leaders and developing intimate relationships, along with strong loyalty to them, are also foundational to building a strong Christian community.

Helping youth to stand on shoulders

In Christus Vivit, Pope Francis urges youth to cultivate a filial yet mature relationship with significant others. “The word of God encourages us to remain close to the elderly so that we can benefit from their experience... the long years they have lived, and all they have experienced in life should inspire us to look to them with respect" (188). “This does not mean we must agree with everything adults say or approve of all their actions... It is genuinely a matter of being open to receiving wisdom passed down from generation to generation, a wisdom that understands human weakness and should not fade away before the novelties of consumer society and the market.” (190)

How can we help youth stand on the shoulders of elders? In a culture where freedom and independence are prioritized, there is always the temptation to go it alone, forming ‘my group’ rather than building on the foundations already laid (1 Cor 3:11). Therefore, it is crucial to establish a counterculture and resultant dynamics. We need many mature elders for youth to connect with, ongoing encouragement to ensure continuity of relationships, an emphasis on humility and simplicity in exercising leadership, and a culture of communication that fosters unity among leaders and in the wider community. Let us help our youth to stand on the shoulders of elders so that tomorrow, they, too, will lend their shoulders for others to stand on!

Topics:

        Accompaniment

        Continuity

        Graduality

        Growing into maturity

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Story of the Name ‘Jesus Youth’ (BJRE013)

Image
The Story of the Name ‘Jesus Youth’  (Published in Kairos Magazine in 2018) This movement, ‘Jesus Youth,’ has grown and spread. It is present in almost three dozen countries and on all continents. The movement has given rise to several fascinating and youth-friendly initiatives. For numerous people, ‘Jesus Youth’ is a label they proudly apply to themselves, saying, ‘I am a Jesus Youth!’ So naturally, people ask, ‘How did this name come about?’ or ‘Who gave the movement this name?’ I tell them, initially, the name was that of a conference, and we never thought of it as the name of a movement. However, after the 1985 conference, those who had participated in the gathering began identifying themselves as Jesus Youth, and gradually, other people associated with the network also adopted this name. To discuss its background, the steps to bring together the youth in the Charismatic Renewal in Kerala started in earnest in 1978. For this purpose, a team was formed, and after a few gathering...
Read more

What is Jesus Youth Mission? Building witnessing communities (BJRE071)

Image
  What is Jesus Youth Mission? Building witnessing communities (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2023)   These days, I regularly attend two weekly prayer groups. The Wednesday group is my old one, which now meets online. It goes very well.  The local group gathers on Sunday afternoons, but its attendance is not very consistent. Occasionally, they cancel the meeting because other commitments arise, and they often choose to skip it for study sessions or outside events. Participation in a community is a habit, and a good habit must be carefully nurtured. However, many people gradually disconnect from Jesus Youth as the group becomes inconsistent. Perhaps this was what the writer of the book of Hebrews observed: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (10:24,25) Even in the early Church...
Read more

Can Spirituality be so much fun - (BJRE001)

Image
Can spirituality be so much fun? (By Dr. Edward Edezhath - Published in Kairos Magazine in 2016) “I just wanted to discover why these people are so interested in Jesus Youth. Won’t they get bored with prayer and these talks on Spirituality?”  I was taking my 17-year-old son to the Joy Conference, which Jesus Youth Teens Ministry had organized. Earlier, some youth came home and mentioned the program to him, and to my surprise, he willingly gave his name. As we drove to the program, he told me he was going there out of curiosity. His idea is that anything to do with spirituality is so dull; if so, why are so many smart teenagers and youth so crazy about Jesus Youth? And he was going there to unravel the mystery. After four days, as I was taking him back home from the Joy Conference, I asked him how the whole thing had been. “Not bad,” he said. Knowing him, I heard it as ‘Excellent”. Little by little, he spoke to me about the friendly ones he had met there, how they had fun during the...
Read more