On the Road to Providence — Choose Wisely
April 27, 2009
It seems that the news media is enamored with stories of teenagers who have made major accomplishments. They gush all over 12-year-old Shaheen Jafagholi the singing sensation who has stolen the spotlight from Susan Boyle. Farrah Gray is a 24-year-old who became a millionaire at age 14. Billy Jinks is another 24-year-old who also became a millionaire 10 years ago at age 14. Then there are the stories of teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Kleibold; they too made the news 10 years but not for their singing talents or their entrepreneurial acumen. Harris and Kleibold are remembered for having massacred 10 people in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
There were signs of impending disaster that might have alerted officials if people had paid attention. On that day, April 20, 1999, I was studying a report from my ministerial intern in Denver, Colorado. The report told of the teen-on-teen violence and growing tension in Denver school system. School officials were responding by monitoring the activities of the minority students: Latino, African-American and Native-American. However no one was addressing the needs of the teen-agers or even listening to their suggestions. There was an appalling lack of communication between teens and adults.
Ten years later we have witnessed additional shootings in schools, in houses of worship and in workplaces. People of all ages are crying out in pain and in need; asking for someone to listen to their concerns before they become overwhelming. In our Unitarian Universalist faith community, we have several indications that not all is well. While I do not believe that these are signs of potential violence, I do believe they are signs of the potential loss of some of our community.
On the Unitarian Universalist Web site (www.uua.org) there are copies of two reports: the Mosaic Project Report and the Youth Ministry Working Group Report. Both of these reports are pivotal for the future of our youth. It is said that the youth are the future of our faith movement. However, if they are not part of our present faith, how can they be part of our future? The Mosaic Project is an assessment of the Unitarian Universalist ministry to youth and young adults of color and Latina/o and Hispanic and multiracial/multiethnic descent and makes crucial recommendations for improvements. The Youth Ministry report charts out various ways to widen and enhance youth participation in our association and in our congregations.
Both reports are essential documents for all Unitarian Universalists, especially for our leadership. If we cannot welcome the participation of our youth and young adults into our congregations and larger movement, then we have no right to reach out to anyone else. As a leader in Unitarian Universalism, I pledge to do what I can to increase opportunities for youth and young adult participation in our faith and invite all others to do the same. To quote “…we must be a part of the scaffolding that support Youth and Young Adults …in their development of a healthy identity….”
~Rev. José Ballester
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