A Thief and a Drug User
Relational Youth Ministry allows you to meet some amazing people. For a 5 year period of my life I spent my time working in a local high school and a youth prison. Whenever I did church talks I explained that there were some similarities between the two groups of people that I used to meet:
- They both wore a uniform
- The both didn’t really want to be there
- They both knew exactly what time they were going to get out
It was just that one group was more honest than the other. Don’t get me wrong – the high school group were still honest but the prisoners were more honest. Not in the sense that they had committed a crime but when you asked them how they were they really told you. No need for polite responses – if there day was bad they told you; equally if their day was good they were happy to share that too.
I have many happy memories of my time inside, I met many people that I will introduce to you – starting today with a young man I shall call Kevin.
Kevin was arrested, charged and found guilty of theft – or similar such charge. He could argue with you very persuasively that he was hungry and they had two video recorders. He could discuss the morality of it all and justify himself as to his actions. How right is it that a human being starve while people duplicate electronic gadgets? Who would you like to die while you bought yourself another essential accessory?
Of course he omits to say that he also took their television, microwave and of course, both the videos. Another thing he forgets to mention is that he was hungry because that’s a side effect of his drug habit.
Interesting how we can both twist truth and be selective with it don’t you think?
