Encourage the Good

I spend my life trying to encourage the good wherever I can find it. I think about how faith relates to culture and how the Bible applies to every area of life. I am interested in innovation, leadership, creativity and sport. Ideas and stories are the currency of life and open up new horizons. I would like you to know the love of God and the joy, peace and hope that are found in Jesus.

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Encourage the Good

Feeling overwhelmed

January 04, 2022 • Nigel Pollock • Season 3 • Episode 36

One of the things which I have remarked on during this long and difficult pandemic is that we are all in the same storm but we are not all in the same boat. The impact of covid 19 has varied enormously through geographic, ethnicity, personal circumstance and life stage.

We are particularly concerned about the disproportionate impact of the past two years on young people, especially those in their mid-teens to early twenties. While COVID interrupted life in some way for all of us, it has deprived many young people of experiences that will never come their way again.

We are committed to finding more opportunities to reach those we have missed and to bless those who have missed out.

The gospels remind us that faith can grow in the middle of storms when we encounter Jesus.

Day 86

They’ve missed out on sport, music, drama and travel. They have had to downsize celebrations of milestone birthdays and graduations from high school and university. Students started university in their bedrooms and graduates began careers from their parents basements. What these young men and women missed is significant, and many will not just pick up where they left off.

Young people can be resilient and there have been positives for some in spending more time with their families, connecting more deeply with friends, reflecting on life and trying new activities. But we can’t ignore their losses.

Three key losses stand out for us working with young people in Canada

1. MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

The Mental Health Commission of Canada's Headstrong Survey reveals that 63.8 % of youth aged 15-24 reported poor mental health during the pandemic -- the highest of any age group. (People over 65 were at 35%).

When asked about their biggest challenges:

• 49% said loneliness and isolation

• 33% said school closures and the switch to virtual learning

The Association for Canadian Studies reports that 42% of young adults aged 18–24 experienced moderate to severe depression during the pandemic. A survey by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction found that 21% of adults aged 18–34 started drinking more at home due to boredom, lack of structure, stress and loneliness. Cannabis use also increased.

Hardest hit are the least privileged and those with special needs.UNESCO predicts this shadow pandemic in global education may eclipse the health crisis in terms of its long-term impact.

2. DISCONNECT FROM CHURCH

The impact on faith development has also been significant. Our friends at Scripture Union surveyed churches in Canada and found that:

• 57% of churches reported a decline in overall attendance

• 71% saw a decline in attendance in children’s ministry

• 59% of churches are not sharing the Good News about Jesus with children in their community

These statistics do not surprise us; in fact, we’ve seen them play out in the lives of the young people first-hand.

3. MISSED MILESTONES

In 2020, our camps were mostly shuttered, but in 2021 summer camps were back and hosted about 4,000 campers compared to the usual 10,000, which is a stark reminder of another thing young people missed – the unique growth that comes from time spent in creation and community.

First-year high school and university students also missed so much. As we walk alongside students through four years of high school and four to five years of university, we see them grow in many ways. We often refer to the combination of these years as representing a student generation. Every year matters, but the first year and the graduating year are especially crucial. As first year students become comfortable in an InterVarsity group, they say yes to increased leadership and discipleship opportunities in their remaining years. As they approach graduation, we are able to help them think through how to integrate their faith with their career.

Many first-year students missed this important connection with a faith community at their school. Graduating students missed the opportunity to find other people of faith in their workplaces, new churches and communities.

Perhaps the most significant overall theme in camp, high school and campus ministry has been the disruption of our leadership development pathways. This will involve significant rebuilding.

We are committed to finding more opportunities to reach those we have missed and to bless those who have missed out.

We are moving forward in faith with hope and imagination. I believe we have been learning things in this season that will significantly strengthen our impact moving forward. We know, though, that it will be a bumpy ride.

We are hugely grateful for all who have walked with us in this unique season. We miss this missed generation but we do not believe they are lost. We have a Good Shepherd. We know the good news of Jesus continues to be the only hope for boys and girls, for students and graduates across Canada and beyond. We believe that in God’s grace, InterVarsity has a pivotal part to play as we work with others to see faith grow in this generation.

The gospels remind us that faith can grow in the middle of storms when we encounter Jesus.

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don't you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41)

This incident follows an intensive period of ministry when Jesus has taught the crowd and the disciples as a group. Jesus instructs them to cross to the far shore and exhausted falls asleep in the stern on a cushion. A small flotilla of boats set out the same time and they are caught up in a furious and sudden storm.

The boat the disciples are in is in danger of capsizing so they wake the sleeping Jesus with an anxious and urgent question. “Don’t you care if we drown?”. In times of trouble we are often less concerned about the presence of God than with the love of God. It is not much point of knowing the Lord is with us if we do not really believe that he is for us or is able to help us.

What the disciples discover is that Jesus is more powerful than the cataclysmic circumstances that they fear are going to overwhelm them. Jesus gets up and speaks first to the storm and at his word the wind drops and the waters calm. He then addresses the disciples and asks them why they were afraid and if they still have no faith.

Their questions now are not about the storm but about the Lord. “Who is this?”. They have seen something beyond their ability to explain. One of the things I like about this story is that the other boats on the lake benefit from this interaction between Jesus and his followers. The calm water benefits everybody and they are able to continue their journey safely.

We may not all be in the same boat. But what happens in our boat can help others in the storm if we seek the Lord and speak to him.

Psalm 86 is an appropriate prayer in a storm

“Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you.

You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvellous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead” (86:1-13)