Book Review - "Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry"

"Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry" is the second book in the series by Andrew Root. In this book we continue to follow the theological journey that Nadia is taking in her role as youth minister.

The cross can be a confusing topic for young people and can incredibly challenging to explain it as well because it's more than just about a good man being punished for his friends. God through Jesus takes on death itself, our death and conquers it. There are some excellent resources and demonstrations to aid our conversations with youth regarding the cross such as Youth Alpha session "Why did Jesus Die?". But "Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry" addresses this issue in a radical new way.

It forces you to look at what the cross actually means not just for us but for God and how that then transforms our understanding of the Trinity. Andrew Root looks at the letters of St Paul to the new church in Corinth (the Las Vegas of the ancient world as he describes it). In particular he focuses on 1 Corinthians 1:18: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

He speaks of St Paul as a "disappointment" to the Corinthians who were expecting him to be a "super apostle" when he visited. St Paul admits the Corinthian's are right; he is an unimpressive leader. But for Paul that points to the very heart of the gospel. What was his message? It's that God in Jesus, for the sake of love, humbled himself to the point of suffering and death. Paul is qualified to be their leader not because he's powerful or elegant but because he is weak and foolish. You see when you're weak and not so popular and not powerful you see the world in a different way, through suffering eyes. When you do, then you see the reality of who God is. And that is God on the cross.

St Paul is saying that the cross was a disappointment, in fact it was foolishness that Jesus "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)

It's foolish because it's completely opposite to what we think God should do. God chooses to be weak. This is a love that overcomes death by willingly entering into death. God acts within our struggle, our nothingness; God is not supposed to die, to suffer, or cry out. Yet on the cross in the forsakenness of Jesus is the crucified God. In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians he wanted them to see that the foolishness of the cross means that God is revealed to us in those moments when God often seems hidden.

It is in those places, where we are most broken and alone that God is most present and for youth ministry this is such an important truth to share with young people, particularly our adolescents who increasingly find themselves in these places. For them to know that God is for them and not against them because of the Cross is so important.

This book formed the basis of Fr Alex's talk on Friday night at DAMASCUS summer camp. I highly recommend this book.