Sooner or later, each young man makes a choice of life priorities and world outlook. Someone chooses life for themselves, other careers and wealth, others want to become famous - all of them, somehow, prefer the material to the spiritual, placing their ego at the forefront. Rarely does anyone make another choice - he tries to understand why he is here and tries to become a Man.
Question: For the sake of what will I live? , - has always been relevant. And 2000 years ago, a rich young man turned to Christ, tormented by the same search. Solve this problem of reference and account for the youth of the XXI century. And despite the spread in the minds of the stereotypes of the consumer society, many people choose their personal development goal. There are many such young people, and some of them find meaning and true Truth in the Orthodox Church, experience their personal meeting with Christ, after which they are ready to give all earthly attachments and follow Him. If anyone wants to walk with Me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me (Mt. 16:22).
But how many are willing to give up so much? Hardly, even for their perfection, more often simply because, for such a young man, Christianity, and even more so, Orthodoxy seems something ancient and outdated, associated with near-bearded priests, waving a censer . Therefore, for him any philosopher and his treatise seems more relevant and modern than the Bible. This is how the Church perceived my atheistically-minded fellow students at the university, and those who were just part of the group of seekers. As it turned out, almost all of them were in the church, and some were even parishioners, but they left ... The main reason most of them called abnormal attitude, rudeness and nearness. Of course, all this does not mean that it is necessary, like members of various Christian denominations, to conduct aggressive proselytism or bombard with love - to surround a person with a hypocritical surplus of attention and love in order to keep him in his community. Any choice should always be conscious and free, for even our God, Who wishes to save everyone, does not violate our freedom. Therefore, any form of agitation, propaganda or forced conversion is unacceptable for us. The Lord Himself leads every man to Himself, extends his hand to him, but does it through various incidents, meetings, through the people chosen by Him. Therefore, the very denial of the propaganda of faith does not mean abandoning the preaching of the gospel of Christ. The Savior's testament about the universal preaching of the gospel is not forgotten by anyone and will not be rejected. Is it worth thinking about the form of expression of this sermon? 
Since the Nativity of Christ, it has been more than two thousand years. During this time, mankind has made a huge leap in the development of civilization and progress, but in its essence remains, and will remain a lost sheep, which the Shepherd Kind has found and taken on its shoulders. Neither the Word of God, nor the doctrinal truths have lost their strength and relevance, it remains only to find a form in which a man of his time will be easier to understand and accept into his heart. The importance of the correct choice of the form of sermon is even greater if it is directed towards the consciousness of young contemporaries - the hope and future support of society. Of course, now everywhere it's only customary to talk about a lost generation that needs nothing but money and sensual pleasures. Or maybe we just do not know how to look? Maybe we did not see the brilliance of a diamond in a non-cut stone? In the meantime, we think or vilify the young lost generation, it continues to search for answers to those eternal questions and problems that will never be solved definitively, because everyone decides them in different ways. For or against? Darkness or light? The choice here is purely personal ...
What can we do in this situation? Imposing is rejected immediately, preaching in the temple is very narrow, because it is designed for a person who has already come there. The way to exit tells us the very society - and we see the preaching of Orthodoxy in the media, at rock concerts, in social networks. In large cities, Orthodox youth brotherhoods and societies are organized. Outwardly such a mission of the Church in the world and among young people has a very wide scope, but what is the efficiency of such forms of preaching? As practice shows, it is rather low. And more often than not, the same media cast a ton of negative on the Church or a crowd at concerts thinks of something else. The main reason is the individual experience of contact with the church reality. Someone was offended by our good-natured grannies, someone saw an uneducated or drinking priest - all this imposes a certain stereotype, which is very difficult to change. That is why most of the young people stand outside the church fence or trample on its threshold.
What is most frightening in this situation is our own behavior. There is a certain tendency of the difference between us - they, ours - a stranger. We seek and create Orthodox movies, Orthodox TV, Orthodox rock, Orthodox sites, cafes and almost night clubs, only deepening the gap between our own and other people's young people. Who the main audience of such institutions are already believers. By this we often only become isolated, differentiate from society, and not Christianize it. Already in the first centuries the Church could become locked in itself - to leave the Mosaic Law, not to accept the fallen from persecution, but She did not take this path, but showed discretion and condescension. The ritual law was abolished, the road of salvation was open to all people, the repentance of the fallen was accepted, and indulgence towards their infirmities was manifested. And the eternal form of the sermon was given by Christ Himself: Tako, let your light be enlightened before men, as they will take away your good deeds and glorify your Father, who is in heaven. By our good example of following the gospel, we preach Christ more eloquently than all words, destroying the stereotype of dislike for ourselves. Instead of reproach - quietly give advice, instead of frenzied criticism and despising someone else's thoughts - we will show tolerance and the ability to listen and understand, sympathize. It will not be necessary for Orthodox cinema, television or music, when the believers will be directors, artists and public figures who came to the Church, because they saw in Her the Divine Light of compassion, understanding and love. And the lost generation of youth, having felt this Light itself, will come to its Source.
Everything in the preaching of the gospel, in the fulfillment of the commandment of Christ, depends on each of us, on our ability to reflect the Divine Light. We ask ourselves: Who am I? . A pure wax candle, placed on a candlestick of time to illuminate society or smoky oiled wick, which should be hidden under a bushel? The answer will show us how to grow in spirit further. Either way, we all need to become like the apostle of languages and become everything for everyone, so that if possible, we save some (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Author: Valentin Grebennik
