We wrestle with family, friends, racism, politics, religion, faith, right vs. wrong, morality, books, freedom. You name it – we wrestle with it, but we also wrestle with God.
If you were at our youth Sunday mission service, you heard testimonies from youth who were honest in their struggles and wrestling with faith, life, and who God is. This was also part of our mission trip to Chicago.
We were forced to wrestle with our beliefs and conceptions about Chicago, the “South Side,” racism, systemic institutions that are not there for all, poverty, food accessibility, policing, transportation, our faith, and wondering what God and Jesus want us to do with what we know.
When we left for this trip, we thought we would serve the homeless and deal with poverty in Chicago. Even before leaving, we were confronted with whether Chicago was even safe for us to go to.
If you were to watch many top newscasts, you would think we were headed for a third-world country and to a city completely out of control. What God had intended for us was something different:
- He sent us to a diverse and beautiful city full of vibrant neighborhoods and communities. It was one with issues but not the all-out war sometimes portrayed.
- We would wrestle with our views on poverty, race relations, redlining, slavery, and systematic and historical ways of keeping people down, especially those of color or poverty. We considered how policing and trust do not go hand in hand. It turns out we had much to learn about ourselves, our neighbors, a great city that is misrepresented, and what we do with this as a person and group upon our return.
- We served those on the south side. We helped with a community garden for Cannan church, outdoor projects, and kids camp at Another Chance church. Both churches welcomed us with open arms and love and were open to our questions about the community they lived in and loved.
Some would ask why we go where we go, and the youth did a great job of giving this answer at our Mission Sunday service. If you missed it, go to www.mygpc.org and watch. You will not be disappointed. While on the trip, we were reminded by Lamar, one of our Sunshine Gospel hosts, that God sent his son into a world full of conflict, discord, and hurting. Are we not also to follow in Jesus’ footsteps? Did Jesus not come in and give many another chance to see what it was to love God and love your neighbor? We go where we feel called, not to check off a box of “look at us and how good we are” but to learn and serve without expectations of anything in return. But as always, God provides us with opportunities and connections that become life-changing experiences, and you have to hear that in our youths’ testimonies.
This trip allowed us all to wrestle with where we are in loving God and our neighbor. But with God, you can wrestle, ask questions, and know that we are all given another chance through grace.
Again, I would like to thank you all for supporting these amazing youth and the Youth and Children’s ministries. Without you and God’s direction, we would not be able to provide the opportunities to wrestle with our faith and life’s questions. So, thank you all for your prayer, support, gifts, love, compassion, and grace.
