Did you know that those words come to us from the Bible, from 1 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 12? Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, a younger man who was a leader in the early church. Timothy was a follower of Christ who had deep wisdom and strength, courage and insight beyond his years, and Paul wrote letters to him to encourage him, and to provide guidance and instructions on how to be an even better leader within the church.
One of the things that Paul told Timothy was to not let people look down on him because of his youth.
It sure is easy to get into that habit, isn’t it? It can be deceptively easy to dismiss the bravado, the self-assurance, and the pushback we get from people who are younger than we are. We want to believe that we have more wisdom.
Well, let me speak for myself. I know that’s true for me when I interact with my own young adult children. I sometimes roll my eyes and think to myself, “Wait until you’ve lived a few more years and had a few more experiences and paid a few more bills on your own. Then come back to me with your advice and criticism.”
But what Paul wrote to Timothy feels a lot like a challenge and an invitation for me: Do not look down on anyone because of their youth. Listen to what they have to say, to what they think, to what they advise, and to what they believe.
With that in mind, I will share with you four videos from four young people who spent the summer with us – our four Hope Summer Interns. Because of Covid and because of last week’s break-in at Caldwell, we were unable to hear the interns share their reflections in person in the sanctuary last Sunday morning in worship. However, they have been gracious enough to record videos of themselves reflecting on their experiences from this summer. You will find their videos below.
This summer’s Hope Interns were:
Liz Crouse, a recent graduate from Elon University. Click here to watch Liz´s video.
Ellen Fiedler, also a recent graduate from Elon University. Click here to watch Ellen´s video.
Justice Opoku, a recent graduate from St. Andrews University. Click here to watch Justice´s video.
Eleanor Williamson, a rising junior at Queens University. Click here to watch Eleanor´s video.
As you can plainly see, Caldwell, no one has the right to look down on these thoughtful, inspiring, hope-inducing interns because of their youth. We actually ought to be looking up to them, looking out for them, and looking ahead for them to invite us, challenge us, and lead us into a future that is in increasingly creative, strong hands. Thanks be to God for their presence and their witness among us.
Thank you, Eleanor, Justice, Ellen, and Liz, for all that you did this summer, in Charlotte, at Caldwell, at your placements, and within yourselves. May God bless you and keep you as you move forward in your studies, your work, and your whole lives. You are always, always, always welcome to return to Caldwell and share your stories and your wisdom with us.
May grace and peace be with you all, now and always.
In Christ, Gail