A Prayer of Empathy and Understanding and Compassion
One of the most powerful prayers that I have read was the prayer of St Francis of Assisi. The Catholic Friar, who founded the Franciscan Order, dedicated his life to poverty and then to preaching the gospel to the poor.
The prayer is a prayer to place our lives in the position of others less fortunate than ourselves.
We have all been watching the crisis in the city of Minneapolis in the past weeks. I recently visited Minneapolis and the streets of the city I lived for 17 years. I have prayed thousands of prayers for this city and made hundreds of prayer walks.
When I walked downtown Minneapolis, I prayed the prayer of Saint Francis:
“Lord, make US an
instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred,
let US sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Divine Master, grant that WE
may not so much seek to be
consoled as to console,
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving
that we receive,
it is in pardoning
that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life.”
-Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
After visiting Minneapolis, two things are true: My heart was broken for the hurting, and yet, hopeful for the Church.
In the midst of the pain and suffering, there are many churches in this city that ante places of grace, healing, and hope in a city that desperately needs Jesus today.
What has drawn me to the pictures of the city in this moment are the young people who have risen to the cause of the hurting in this city, and, to the call for immigration principles.
So how can the church capitalize on this cause-oriented generation? How can the message of the gospel capture the hearts of Gen Z and Alpha Gen?
Let’s get practical
Here are two practical principles that every youth ministry can incorporate to engage the next generation in the cause of the church.
1. Youth leaders must educate themself and engage in the culture
The church Is actually the greatest cause in human history. The cause of the church should be an easy invitation to the next generation to be a part of the story of Christianity.
As spiritual leaders, we must be known for having a disciplined relational ethic. It will take some discipline, but, competency with the cultural issues surrounding teenagers will show young people that their leaders understand their world.
There are many ways to stay current in field:
Having regular conversations with teenagers, researching key cultural websites, listening to the music of the culture, paying attention to the movies and podcasts relevant to young people, and a consistent review of social media.
It will take a little work, but the reward is a deposit into the currency of a healthy youth ministry.
2. Don’t be afraid to tackle issues that divide
As a youth leader, I do not want the answers to the questions nobody is asking. We must be willing to address the key cultural topics in a teenagers‘s life. It is a necessity to address the issues that are relevant in the youth culture today.
The family
Political and cultural issues
Purpose and identity
Sexuality and design
Social media
Every youth ministry must address these issues through the preaching, teaching, counseling, social media, and conversations with young people.
Finally
I’ve learned while living in the urban center that empathy is a powerful relational force.
To be able to place yourself in the shoes of another person generally goes against human nature. And this is the reason for prayers like the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.
The prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi is a practical prayer. It is a call to relational action in culture. True compassion is action.
The empathy that comes from prayer will place us in the right frame of mind to address the issues in the youth culture. Praying this prayer can open our eyes and soften our heart for the younger generation and the issues before them.