The Youth

There is a great desire for truth, but the search has led many people astray, away from God and what is right, and many are turning to self-destructive behavior. Surprisingly, only a few have turned to God, the source of all good. This desire is more evident among young people.

This is a call for all workers to raise our voices and let the world know that what they are looking for is already here! We must destroy the mesmerism some of the youths are under when they say they are all alone and no one could know what they are going through, or that they are too young to serve God, or even come to church. We must let the world know that God is not an alternative that you can go to when all else fails—God is the first and the last, and everything in between; He is the only truth there is. Whatever is deceiving man is a lie and cannot sustain.

A preacher from Germany, who visited my hometown in Nigeria a while ago, shared a story about a town he helped revive. A local minister had invited him for a special event. When he arrived at the church, there was not a single young person sitting in the congregation. He asked, “Where are the youths?” They told him that youths in this town don’t come to church anymore. “If the youths do not come to church, where do they go?” he asked.

After the service that evening, they drove about a mile to a very large building with a blinking sign saying “Disco.” Then the minister said to the preacher, “Here is where our youths are.” And to the minister’s surprise, the preacher stepped out of the car and rushed to the building. The security wouldn’t let him in, but he persisted until they let him in.

The inside was unbelievable. The music was loud, with smoke everywhere, so that no one could see or hear each other. He grabbed the microphone and he almost got thrown out. But his persistence paid off when he convinced the owner of the club that he came all the way from Germany for these young people, and since here is the only place he can find them, he was not leaving until he could speak to them. He asked if they could give him just fifteen minutes to speak to the young people, and it was granted him. Surprisingly, they listened, after a few boos and abuses were thrown at him. He spoke direct to them, like no one has ever done. He assured them about the love of God for all His children, especially the youth. He assured them that the lasting peace they’re all seeking can only be found in God. He could hear many of them crying in the audience, and some had already started leaving. They really accepted the truth. In his heart he knew he had planted a good seed, and God would take care of the rest. As the Bible says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32).

A year later the preacher was invited to visit the same city. At the airport, his friend, the local minister, said he had a surprise for him. They drove to that same building, but this time there was another sign—a cross—and inside was an Evangelical Church. When he went inside, it was filled with people, mostly the youths, with vibrant energy to serve God. Many of them recognized him and came to hug him. They told him that after he left that night, they never went back to the club. The people had awakened to the truth, and error lost its power over the city and the young people. The youths rediscovered their place in God.

When man wakes up from his slumber, error loses its grip. Error has no power and no attraction. As Mrs. Eddy said in Science and Health, “There is but one real attraction, that of Spirit.” We must know that whatever seems to be holding our young people back will ultimately loosen its grip. We must oppose it with the Truth that sets all mankind free. This error has no power to persist, and it can’t have any influence over anyone.

We as Christian Scientists must help our young people understand that they are important to God. If one preacher can convert a whole city from darkness to light, from destruction to life, we today in Plainfield and all over the world are more than enough to turn a great number of people back to God, the only source of peace, life, and love. Mrs. Eddy wrote, “We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when the earth was without form, and Mind spake and form appeared.” (Mis. 279:27)