Many of you have heard that I work with youth who are at risk of falling into gangs.
The approach we take is called a strength-based approach where we focus on their strengths and build on them so young people can celebrate successes.
The old way was to work on weaknesses – “Hey Sean, you’re fat and you need to lose weight to be all you can be.” This method unfortunately doesn’t work as effectively and tends to have people quit in despair.
The reason I bring this topic up is because I watch good Catholics and Christians post stuff on social media that doesn’t help move the needle when it comes to helping our faith.
I will use one example from a website often shared – Lifesite News. Here is a recent headline. “Christians must not allow this man to lead Alberta’s new conservative party.” The article goes on to say Brian Jean won’t allow those who believe in traditional marriage in his party and don’t belong in any party.
The writer then challenges people to watch the TV interview (about gay pride) to prove his point. I watched the video and nowhere does Brian Jean say that. He says those who spread hate don’t belong in his party. What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say about treating homosexuals? “They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”(2358) I highly recommend watching a video done by Jason Evert which is what I see as a better approach. https://youtu.be/bLrRfwpvERU
It’s always easier to tear something down than it is to build it up. It takes me a couple of hours to tear out an old deck and days to build a new one.
What were some of Jesus’s last words on earth? “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.”
We have a beautiful faith to share with the world! We need to meet people where they are at and walk with them sharing our love for Christ by reflecting that love toward those around us. There is plenty of media out there that distorts what the church teaches but we can change that perception by sharing the strength and beauty of the church.
So if you are wondering why God Squad is not sharing a lot of the negative stories about how bad this government is, or that group is, I would rather share posts about this saint did this with their life or encourage prayer and feast days of the church.
Please help God Squad Canada build up men and families with faith and encouragement!
Sean Lynn