"Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” (Matthew 9:35-38)
When we take a look to this verse we notice the compassion of Jesus for the crowds who were lost. Jesus was sensitive and payed attention to the needs of that generation.
This year, I have been shocked by what I have seen. I live in a city of a little bit more than 300.000 habitants and the number of teenagers who have chosen for homosexuality has grown frighteningly. On the squares, in bars, on parties teenagers and youth distant from parents have assumed this “new identity” chosen by them.
One of the greater researchers in the area of human behavior, Freud confirms that teenagers from the age of 12 are discovering their identity, what takes a time, and experiences they lived in their childhood have a great influence on their choices.
Yet, daily, our teenagers have been bombarded by the media through direct and indirect messages about their sexuality.
Being part of a tribe or meeting people who looks like you is what many teenagers (those that don’t find affection at home, acceptation and personal confirmation by the people with whom they live) has brought to those subgroups inside our society. Those subgroups ( tribes) are welcoming them, and in a little while our teenagers are immersed in a stile of life and its activities.
Just a while ago we watched several articles of teenagers who filmed how they had sex in the bathroom of school and posted those videos on internet.
When I was much younger, some of my friends from church became pregnant, I was very shocked and a little bit lost, because I didn’t understand why they made this choice. Today I understand that it was a lack of orientation about relationships and that what they knew was from their friends and the media.
In the media, the most popular teenager programs are those that talk about sex, homosexuality, disrespect on laws and rules. Idols teens declare themselves homosexuals or bisexual.
We have been sleeping meanwhile our teenagers and youth are brought to the obscure “world” and many times when we notice the damage is already immeasurable.
Being alert to the needs of this new generation, finding their identity is our focus. Our mission should be helping them in finding their identity in Christ. When Jesus came to this world he made disciples (little Christ’s), and our mission is to continue this work. Open our eyes to see this great harvest of teenagers and youth that have needs to find themselves and be a reference in their lives.
