culture: scandal or opportunity? (part 2)

As youth workers, we know culture plays a huge role in the development of our students’ identity. It can often feel like a bombardment that never lessens. Today, we’re continuing where we left off YESTERDAY by presenting some additional ideas to help students build discernment filters into their lives.

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Help for understanding teenagers and their world
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IDENTIFY THE MESSAGES
It’s normal to consume culture (media, tech, art, web, video, etc.) without identifying the message that’s being communicated. A typical response is usually automatic and unexamined. We laugh or cry or rage and then return to the stuff that makes us feel the way we like to feel. Challenge the apathy within your students and encourage them to ask discerning questions. Two questions can help move us a little deeper toward thinking about cultural messages: (1) What is this saying to me? And (2) What do I think this is saying to others?

WEIGH THE MESSAGES AGAINST SCRIPTURE
Once we know what we’re hearing, we need to determine if it’s good--according to our biblical standard. As we disciple teenagers, teaching them God’s way is essential, but we must also challenge our students to think critically. We will have helped teenagers when they’re trained to identify a message and then ask, “What does God think about this?”

START A CONVERSATION
Dialog is a great way to go deeper in understanding culture’s impact. Have conversations that matter by talking about what you heard and then asking questions about potential implications.

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Help for understanding teenagers and their world
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For example, instead of criticizing their music (which makes them defensive and not trusting), listen to their music with them. Say something like, “I’d love to learn more about their [particular band] music and their message. I’ll buy one of their songs this week from iTunes and really listen to their message.” Then, buy it, listen to it, evaluate the lyrics, and be better prepared to have a discussion. Don’t begin by cursing their music because it’s secular and therefore can’t have anything good to say. Do your homework so you can be credible and then engage in wise and caring conversations. As we mentioned yesterday, lives aren’t changed by your rants. Start a conversation and lovingly guide your students toward a development of biblical filters.