Judging In Love

My friend, youth worker Jeff Travis, offers this timely advice to parents and youth workers alike: “As culture has pushed further and further away from anything that could be interpreted as judgmental, I think there has been an even further push to affirm anything a person grasps onto as their ‘own truth’. Our students experience this training against judgment from every direction. Even when they feel like something is wrong, they usually won’t speak up out of fear of being labeled as a bigot or judgmental. Beyond that, according to culture, if you’re not willing to speak up and affirm, your silence speaks judgment for you. As youth workers  we can help our students see that every person should be affirmed as a child of God loved by him, rather than affirmed for whatever identity they have chosen. When someone is loved, ‘judgment’ is more easily and openly received. Let’s not fall in with culture and neglect to help our students see sin as sin, and let us push them to be bold in God’s love.”