Kevin Walker:
I still have my St. Christopher medal from 1966, when it was all the rage to wear in my neighborhood; even the Jewish kids wore the St. Christopher’s as an indication of where they were from (and there was no insult seen no matter who wore it.)
I really like that idea; people embracing a positive role model as a sumbol of where they are from - even if it’s not rooted ottheir religious histroy. I suppsoe with kids, the idea was not so mocuh of substance as it was with wanting to belogn, but I still find it reassuring. I was disappointed when I learned that St. Christopher’s story had been questioned by the Church, because it was nice.
I read something recently about how kids are really in a dangerous positions these days (well, aren’t they always, and it always gets worse) but the point of the argument was how negative influences (music, videos, tv shows, movies, games) are much more readily available as the standards on what is produced slips coninually, and kids can get them from the internet even if they don’t have pocket money to buy hard copies in stores or their parents have enough time and knowledge to forbid the items’ possesion (there is so much for the parent to keep on top of).
Yet, at the same time, so many stories of the saints are lost or swept under the carpets. These figures need to be resurrected, and kids need to be pointed towards them. They hear all the time this is bad and that is bad, but not given an alternative. Of course, some of the “holier than thou from birth, knew she would be a virgin dedicated to God for the rest of her life from age of three” type stories might not offer much direction for modern struggles of today’s youth, but emhasizing some of the aspects of how these people really struggled (like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, who were examined by the Inquisition for their beliefs) and many of the lessons they wrote about (seeking God and how to discern what is right for decisions (Catherine of Siena and Francis de Sales too are good in this aspect) provide timeless wisdom that could help everyone.
Really, I’ve been interested in the TAU as well…
