April 25-May 1, 2011
Editorial
Editorial: Church – Youths = Lifeless
Translated by Lydia Ma
An Indian film recently made headlines when it became one of the highest grossing foreign films in Taiwan. 3 Idiots chronicles the life of three Indian undergraduates as they take on their country’s education system, value system, and popular culture that are so twisted they only value the superficial rather than the essential.
Ranchoddan (also known as Rancho) is one of the protagonists in this movie and he’s a talented student who often likes to challenges those in authority. For example, one scene in the movie shows his Mechanics professor asking the class for the accurate definition of “machine”.
Rancho raises his hand and says, “Anything that can make tasks simpler and less time-consuming is by definition a machine.” He then starts playing with his pants’ zipper as if to make a point and adds, “This zipper could be a sort of machine.”
Rancho’s answer predictably infuriates his professor who considers his answer baloney and expels him from the class. Another student then manages to recite the “textbook answer” and earns an approving nod from the professor.
Many Christians today would probably find this scene familiar… within their own churches. Some people love to spew out one church law after another during discussion meetings, yet what they actually succeed in accomplishing is killing the spirit of the law. Such people seem more familiar with PCT church laws than the Bible sometimes.
Though knowing church laws is good, insistence with the letter of the law sometimes actually dampens growth of churches or fellow church members – the original intent of such laws. Such laws were also created to facilitate missions and faith confessions and outreach ministries, but sometimes during General Assembly meetings, they can become tools to beat one another.
On May 1, 2011, barely one week after this year’s General Assembly Annual Meeting, PCT churches commemorated Youth Ministries Sunday and reviewed the important role youths played in the summer of 1948 in the formation of an united PCT General Assembly. Those youths, much like Ranchoddan, were youths with passion, vision, and faith. Without their insistence and courage, there’d be no General Assembly today.
Watching the movie 3 Idiots, I cannot help but wonder if the church has similar problems. Has the church become rigid and inflexible and stuck in old patterns? As a church, we need to give youths space so they can think on their own, speak freely about their thoughts, and feel welcome in our churches. Without the presence of youths – some of whom church elders would consider completely “weird” people – our churches risk losing much influence and vitality.