Battle Cry is a rapidly growing youth ministry determined to steer teens away from the violent and sexual seductions of popular culture. I wanted to write about how absolutely insane this ministry seems, particularly in light of the scripture passage I read before dinner tonight:

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!  Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 

   “I will take revenge;
      I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

 Instead,

   “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
      If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
   In doing this, you will heap
      burning coals of shame on their heads.”

 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.  [Romans 12: 9 - 21, NLT]

That's what I wanted to write about. Instead, I've just been faced with a deep, deep conviction from the Lord. After reading this passage tonight I talked about how Easter - that is, the Resurrection - is an event that transforms us into a people of love and life, and how we can live that love and life out in this very dining room. A knot of teens huddled at the back of the room, talking throughout the three minutes or so I was speaking. Some of the adults tried to 'shush' them, but I just kept going. Now, as I contemplate the insanity of Battle Cry, about how youth need to be engaged not by what we say or even what we do, but by who we are, how they are a living and thriving part of our lives and church and maybe we have made them a people of segregated lives... As I consider all this, however, I hear the Lord asking me a question. You see, every night I circulate through the room and talk with folks. I meet with them, I often pray with them, I eat dinner with them. With the adult folks that is. The teens I've pretty much been ignoring. I don't like their language, their clothes, their hair, their attitude, and I've pretty much shunned them for it. I've shunned them publicly, and I'm going to have to apologize to them publicly. And the Lord is asking me to wander in amongst that group of street-smart kids who, quite honestly, frighten me.

I want to tell you that we need to live like the stuff in the bible matters, but I can't. All I can tell you tonight is that I need to live like it matters, and I need to start doing that right now.