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One of my dear mentors and coaches, Wally Hawley, attended the November Sticky Faith Summit we had in Pasadena with 20 amazing youth workers in November 2009. As we were talking about the importance of helping students express their doubts (one of our findings in our College Transition Project), Wally mentioned the book by John Ortberg called Faith and Doubt
In some ways, the most powerful message of the book is summed up in its very title: faith and doubt go together. I love what our youth pastor shared this past Sunday in light of Haiti. When you look at Haiti, it’s hard to put God and our faith in a neat, orderly box. If you look at Haiti and see nothing but despair, maybe it’s time to reflect more upon God’s goodness and the glimpses of that goodness we get every day. If you look at Haiti and see nothing but God’s goodness, then man oh man, please take a few minutes and give yourself space to experience doubt.
And let your students do that also.
And encourage your students’ parents to be the ones to talk with them about their doubts. It’s often easier for us as youth workers to sit with students and ask them about what faith questions Haiti raises for them. But actually, I’d rather have that conversation happen with students’ parents. I’d rather have it be part of the tone of the home, if at all possible. As important as youth workers are in a kids’ life, parents’ influence is more important.
So last Wednesday when I was speaking at a church to parents, I encouraged them to talk with their kids about Haiti. Maybe you’d like to send that same message to parents yourself.
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