Latter Day Struggles 64: Expanding Concepts of Loving Self, Others, & God
Series Title: 2022 Strength of Youth Pamphlet Health Check [Part III of VII]
In this episode Valerie and Nathan tackle the "For the Strength of Youth" section titled "Love God, Love Your Neighbor". This section starts off strong reminding us of love as the power that evokes more love and the most important force for growth and change. Another "win" is the reassurance that God's love is always available. It also invites us to love of all the world: a beautiful global neighborhood. What's not to support here!
Then this document moves into transactional invitations that (unfortunately) encourage our youth to prove their love by right action, rather than expressing a life committed to goodness as the natural outcome of love of self, others, and God.
Val and Nathan also discuss the following:
- The power of prayer and communion emphasized
- Encouragement to self-advocate in situations that are not safe
- Openness and inclusion for all people no matter their race or religion (specific mention of gender/sexuality omitted in this clause sadly)
- Prescriptions around opposite sex early benign interaction
- Ways to handle complex home life situations
- Questions at the end implying more transition-based relationship with God.
This section offers a lot of beautiful counsel. Nathan and Val express some concern that the counsel does not necessarily align with current theology and policy around real-time issues of inclusion and safety. It does however invite healthy advocacy towards these Christ-like values.
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