One of the books I'm currently reading is Mark Driscoll's Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. A quote from Chapter 3: God Makes absolutely struck me in terms of working with youth and today's culture.
People who do not understand the doctrine of creation and the doctrines that relate to it want to die. Some die a little bit at a time, weeping until they are empty and can no longer muster any tears. Others medicate themselves with perscriptions; antidepressants are now the most sold category of medicine, and depression is the most common diagnosis. Still others self-medicate with sex, food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, entertainment, video games, Internet surfing, and anything else that can serve as a diversion from the "unyielding despair." (The idea of unyielding despair comes from Bertrand Russel's, "A Free Man's Worship" article in Mysticism and Logic. By the way, Russel is a renowned atheistic philosopher).
Does that not drill the current culture in which our kids live, move, and have their being? Could it be, just maybe, that we as believers have lost the doctrine of creation? I say believers as the issues from above effect just as many "Christians" as pagans. And certainly this gets in to the area is one truly saved (see John Piper's book Finally Alive for a great unfolding of this idea).
It just causes one to think. It causes one to wonder whether we have lost the plot again. I'll have to think on this awhile (as these are my inner thoughts right now). Time to treadmill it up before Catalyst. I wonder what your thoughts are on this?! Comment away!
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Isaac, this is so awesome. Working with youth in RI, I see so many on emotional shutdown-even in my own fam...they have so many options for escape. I've often asked God, "Where do we start?"
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