Sunday, June 3, 2007
“Youth of Power and Promise”
Text: I Samuel 17: 12 - 26
As we begin to recognize our youth during this youth month, I’m proud to announce that in our midst are youth of power and promise.
In some instances we see the promise, but do not acknowledge their power. We act as if their power battery is not charged or is either on low and they lack any capacity to produce until they have aged or matured.
As a result some think that youth are better seen than heard.
Unfortunately, gang culture recognizes society’s perception that youth are powerless and recruit them into their secret societies. Quickly they are indoctrinated to think that not only do you have power, but you are also to be feared. They are taught that power is to be used negatively, meaning that it does not contribute to the betterment of society; it is used to extracts from the society and becomes a counter-culture. Some call it gang life or thug life.
Negative use of power is manifested in early procreation, useless recreation, or endless procrastination.
Power as early procreation creates the conditions that measures manhood by your conquests or womanhood by your bequests: meaning the children that you have versus the children that you raise.
Power as useless recreation creates the conditions that says that life is a constant party or a futile search for the ultimate state of euphoria. One ingests anything that stimulates the senses until you find your state in a never ending stupor. This week I spent some late nights with Deacon Rodwell and it was sad to witness the people who emerge at night walking throughout this community in an endless daze seeking another fit, drink, or a high – useless recreation.
Power as useless recreation is the endless basketball game where life is played to the point that work never enters your mind. One goes from one playground to another seeking to regain lost opportunity or relive a fleeting fame.
Power as a negative by youth is early procreation, useless recreation, or endless procrastination.
Promise also can be a negative. If promise means that your gestation period is too long, or your maturation period extends forever, or your incubation period keep going and going and going. Promise then can be a negative.
When a youth’s gestation period is too long one loses the benefit of using a youth’s maximum energy level. Instead of utilizing their strength we wait too long and their energy level has waned to the point that when we ask something of them they are less than versus being greater than.
Promise is a negative if your maturation period extends forever. It when you wait to the point that your youth are all gray haired before they are called to serve or become involved in the action. Extended maturation has caused a lot of frustration of youth who are in church. The position of power are withheld from them until they wonder why bother. Why stay in a community that always treats me like I am a child. Promise is a negative if your maturation period extends forever.
Promise is a negative also if your incubation period keep going and going and going: meaning that you are always left on the sidelines and never called upon to serve. Waiting for ever until some mystical point in time when you will be ready.
Promise can be a negative if your gestation period is too long, if you maturation period extends forever, or if your incubation period keep going and going and going.
I here today to proclaim that when you recognize that youth have both power and promise then they can play an integral role in the betterment of our society, community and even our church.
Last night in the Associated Black Charities Gala they honored the contributors to our community’s legal legacy. They rightly paid tribute to W. Ashbie Hawkins, but they fail to mention Everett J. Waring. Everett Waring was the first attorney admitted to the Maryland State Bar who was African American and he joined with his sponsor Rev. Dr. Harvey Johnson and crafted a litigation campaign that championed the cause of African American empowerment that was a beacon of light in a very dark period in our history. We should never forget that these young men where full of power and promise.
But they did honor our good friend Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, and when his story was told he demonstrated early in his career as a student at Morgan State then College, the power and promise that would come to fruition later in his career.
All throughout our community and church are youth who have the power and promise to begin now being useful in the Kingdom of God.
We need not wait until some mystical day when we deem they are ready for service. They are ready now. God has equipped them with the working tools to be useful in Kingdom building.
But there are three things we must do:
First, we must first show them their opponent. In the story Goliath steps forward and David is able to see who the opponent is. He is able to determine that the opponent is not the total Philistine army, but it is Goliath.
Our youth need to have clarity on who is the opponent to understand what they must attack to address the real issues that would keep them from their promise. They have the power to defeat the opponent if we show them who the opponent is.
A prominent local pastor asked a number of clergy to come together to hear his campaign to get the youth of Baltimore to stop sinning. I sat in the meeting for a moment before I realized that this was a waste of my time. I’m not saying that the campaign is a waste of time. But for me to participate would be a waste of my time. There is a difference. The television cameras were there. High government officials also attended. I will admit homicide is a problem. The rate is far too high. But the greater problem is mentalcide. Mentalcide is the systematic destruction of the mind.
So I left the meeting to make it to the closing exercises of our Head Start program. That’s were the investment needs to be made on the front end and then you would not need so much money on the back end. Over two hundred children participated in the closing exercises over a two day period – no television cameras, no high ranking officials.
I want our youth to know that the slogan is true, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
The opponent we need to show them is anything that would destroy one’s mental capacity. Whether it is an inadequate educational system, or mind altering drugs, or low aim in life; anything that would damper one’s mental ability is the opponent. We need to teach our youth that their minds are their most precious treasure. Proverbs says “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Second, we must provide them with some incentive. David’s ears perked up when he realized that if he kills Goliath he would get great riches, he would marry the king’s daughter, and his family would not have to pay taxes. Incentives are a powerful tool to help youth reach their promise.
Third, we need to help them understand that the battle is not theirs, but the Lords. As David faces Goliath, Saul wants him to put on armor and to take his heavy sword.
David thinks for a moment, I can’t fight with this heavy stuff on. Don’t you know that God has been so operative in my life that when I previously faced difficulties, God delivered me!
One day I had to deal with a lion while watching my father’s sheep and God delivered me. I had to deal with a bear, and God delivered me. If God has done that before, he can do it again.
We need to teach our youth that battles in life are struggles not between each other, but in reality are battles between choices. Will you do things God’s way or man’s way? A little deeper question is will you follow the ways of Satan or the ways of God?
Youth need to know that the question before them each day is that they have a choice to make. Prayerfully, they will be able to stand firm in their faith and say, “but as for me and my house I’m going to serve the Lord.”
David makes his stand and says in his spirit if God be for me, who can be against me. David realizes that in life’s struggles you need to take the name of God with you; in our New Testament understand we would say to take the name of Jesus with you.
So David says “I don’t need this heavy armor and sword to fight Goliath. I only need five smooth stones.”
Five being the symbol for grace, David is really saying in life all I need is the grace of God.
That’s why David will write later goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
David knows, like our youth need to know that, God’s grace will follow you all the days of your life through God’s goodness and his mercy.
David defeats Goliath and let me close by telling you these final three things we learn about our Youth who are full of power and promise.
1. God equips them with all they need. Though David had seven older brothers, God had given him all that he needed.
2. God wants them to be used for his purpose. When it was David time to fulfill his purpose and the Samuel was in Jesse house to anoint the future King of Israel; while his brothers stood first in line and where the first considered. Samuel’s oil did not pour from the ram’s horn until David stood before him.
3. God will protect them throughout life’s journey. At the closing program for the Head Start students I asked the parents and caregivers was it alright for me to offer a prayer over our youth as they left for the summer season. So much is going on, life in the city can be dangerous for children.
No parent voiced any opposition as we prayed and the chorus of Amen’s was something to behold.
Our youth are full of power and promise. We need to understand that God has equipped them with what they need; God has a purpose for each of them; and that God will protect them throughout life’s journey if they stay on the Lord’s side.
We need to celebrate our Youth and let them know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can use them at any time, at any age and at any place:
Because our Youth are full of power and promise!
