JAC Online

 The Legacy
from JAC Issue Three
by Phil Wall

Legacy - Article bequeathed; material or immaterial thing handed down by predecessor.

I have the privilege of regularly working with young people and I had occasion
recently to ask myself the question as to what kind of legacy I will leave those
younger in years than I. This is often thought to be a fiscal issue but I want to
suggest to you that every word, attitude and a lifetime of behaviour forms the
legacy that we leave. As I considered this, I thought again about the struggle our
movement has in recruiting and keeping young adults, even those that are born
and bred within the regiment. It is as I reflected on some of the inadequacies
within my own life that I recollected some legacy's that I have witnessed being
left to young people over the last few years.

I once attended a Corps and observed the teenagers not singing during the
traditional hymns that were being sung. I wanted to challenge them about this,
encouraging them to join in with the rest of their Corps family in this corporate act
of worship, even if it was not particularly 'their thing'. As we moved from a brass
accompanied hymn to a contemporary worship chorus it became apparent to me
as to why the young people were acting as they were. As the leader started the
song, two thirds of the band and a number of the songsters just sat there with
their arms folded and their lips firmly sealed. This pathetic kind of immature and
inexcusable behaviour by those so called adults was part of the legacy which
they were leaving and was already being actively inherited.

I remember being asked at another Corps to speak to a number of young people
about senior soldiership. All of them had been through recruits classes and yet
none of them had wanted to take the step to become a soldier. This was thought
to be a lack of commitment on their part and I was sent in as the hit squad to try
and turn this issue round. It became apparent very quickly as to the real reason
for this situation. There had been a breakdown of relationship within the Corps
between some Census locals and their families. Some of the young people in the
room with me were from those families and they stated categorically to me "we
won't become senior soldiers because if we do, the two groups that have divided
the Corps will force us to choose sides." Once again, the lack of maturity by
these particular leaders and elders was already bearing fruit, though thankfully
those younger displayed maturity far superior to what they had been shown.
I remember as a young bandsman in my teens, trying out alcohol on a number of
occasions. After one such occasion I was cycling home feeling quite guilty for
what I had done. Yet as I drove past a shop front office, there was one of our
senior local officers with a cigar in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other.
Although it didn't excuse my own behaviour it did enable me to rationalise what I
had done. That was his legacy to me.

Stories like this could be repeated a hundred fold around the country, where our
young people have been fed an unworthy legacy by those of us that are
supposed to know better. The constant debate in our contemporary Army is
about the limited amount of young people becoming soldiers. (If the current
decline continues, the numbers of Junior Soldiers becoming Senior Soldiers will
reach zero by the year 2004). No doubt there are many reasons for this but
before we start blaming a CO, DYO or TYS we must first ask the Spirit of God to
hold up a mirror before our own hearts, lives and attitudes.

So often young people compromise on their Salvationist stance in relation to
alcohol and the like because of what has been modelled to them. Regularly
young people struggle with relationships because of the shallowness of what
they see around them. Typically many young people have no time or interest
other than chasing their piece of the corporate pie to feed their consumption
driven and comfort orientated lifestyle, because that it what we have held up
before them. Very often they refuse to take on the responsibility of leadership,
not because they don't want it nor because God hasn't gifted them for it, but
rather the model that has been lifted up to them is often compromised and not
something that they would want to aspire to.

Often older leaders will say to me 'We want our young people to be commited.'
What they really mean is they want them to be like 'us' and that is exactly what
they become. As the old adage goes 'You teach what you know, you replicate
what you are'. In truth often our legacy has often been one of shallowness of
spirituality, immaturity of relationships and sheer unadulterated compromise on
our covenant and commitment to Christ.

If the above is in anyway a reflection of truth, change is desperately needed. It
could be that God's words to the Israelites are opposite for us "if my people, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and
will heal their land." 2 Chron 7:14.

The best pages of The Salvation Army's history are yet to be written and they will
be written by those of us that recognise our shortfall, repent and return to God's
ideal. We must return to His call upon our lives and in the words of the prophet
Hosea 'sow for ourselves (and others) seeds of righteousness' (Ch 10 vs 12).
This then is a legacy worthy of being inherited by those who will follow. What kind
of legacy will you leave?

 

 

 

   

 

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