YOUTH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 June 1927, Page 2

YOUTH

A HELPFUL ADDRESS

SOLVING THE PROBLEM Oil" THE AUE'S Before a large congregation the Rev. i John Chisholm. of Knox Presbyterian' Church. Invercargill. in the course of an address on "Youth," stated that it was the. nature of youth to he frolicsome and assertive, and the nature of sober age to rebuke and admonish. If had been so from the, beginning of time. He quoted Pliny, a Roman magistrate and man of iefte'rs, born 62 A.l). who in describing the youth of his day said in complaint, '.'ltyiys know everything- -they reverence nobody." He. went "on to state that yulllh's alii l.nde to-day came from the fact thai young, people had thrown off the restraining hand of ago which in the past held ibeni under control. This instanced the fact, that youth was in revolt. Young people, were perfectly frank and open, in Llieir de.sirc ten freedom siYld their purpose lo throw convention to the, wind. "Do we not exaggerate this point and lake it 100 seriously," asked Ihe speaker. "Victorian mothers, by keeping their children in (he drawing room doing needle work, may have kept them from a certain amount., of evil, but certainly prevented them from doing much positive good. "The past generation is responsible, for this revolt," affirmed the speaker. "The old way of living mapped out by the previous generation has not, produced a, very happy-result. 'We. are going to try a new way, they say. 1 do not blame them. Modern youth has inherited a world vexed by strikes and wars, a world of spiritual discontents and social upheavals, and sober age with its Parliaments, its churches and its labour councils, is at its wits' end to cope with it all. Truly a rather doubtful heritage. Do you wonder at the revolt ol youth?

. "it is all right, to have respect for the past and respect for one's seniors, hut when these same seniors of a generation ago so mismanaged things that the whole world was drenched in blood and youth sacrificed in the. process, and then 'quietly pushed the whole cleaning up of the mess on to the next generation, what can you expect hut revolt? Youth therefore is out to seek for itself and others a happier and more carefree state.

"Will it succeed? Not the way it is shaping at present. Youth shows a lack of desire for and loyally to things that must count. There is a "restlessness that forebodes a change. There are two or three causes of this restlessness. Youth has no solid basis of religious belief, is too unsettled at its work, and is not .satisfied with what it gets, but can't be bothered with hard work and self-sacri-fice which mean success. There is alsoi a restlessness caused by sex attraction. Young men and women go about together with perfect freedom unchapernned, unwatched, unguarded, and though it is usually a quite healthy comradeship, still itcauses restlessness. "All these movements spell a change, and when a change does come it will "be for the better and not the worse, for I have faith in modern youth. "In conclusion there are. one or two things 1 should like to tell youth. We. all have to pay for our fun. Let youth be careful a'n'd not overdo it. The preacher in Ecclesiastes says: 'Rejoice in your youth, young man, be, blithe in the flower of your age,-, follow your heart's desire, and all thai attracts you.' But hn adds, 'Be sure that for all (his God will .bring you to account.' You can't win success and find happiness by building up your life on picture shows,

spoils and cabaret nights. "Tho secoml thing 1 would tell youth is 'keep clean.' Purity is power all the world over. I don't mean prudishness or overdone modesty, or bashful reticence. These are all out of date with youth whose frankness is its charm. . I mean be careful of the quality of your rejoicings. Some imported .side shows from the war are responsible for many cruel judgments on careless younjj •t'oolfi and .Hilly girls. You. may seek your pleasures in. God's m<?'.i gardens or in tiio devil'sisowage b&ta. i. You have.your choice, 'but yoii do not want lo grow up diseased in mind and bod v.

'"A third lliing is: 'Don't throw over religion.' You say you have no time for organised religion. Let me say here and now that Jesus Himself was a youth like you and He was right up against organised religion, [t, was organised religion of the year one. that, put Him, cruelly to death. "When Christ-and His message are rightly understood by modern youth then we will see on the. far horizon faint streaks of a coining dawn that will herald in a long looked for day. For add Christ to the. frankness, the. humour, the loyal comradeship, the driving energy, and the gay optimism of modern youth, and the problem of the. ages will he solved."