By Britt Hester, Minister of Youth & Chrisitan Education
Each year in our youth ministry, we create a theme that we hope connects and drives everything we do. Themes in the past include “Open” and “All Things New.” Each theme is chosen either with the intention of connecting what is going on in the world with a biblical theme or taking an idea that has resonated with our group and expounding upon it. This year our theme is called “Carry the Fire.”
The theme comes from Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Road. In the book, a father and son are situated in a post-apocalyptic world in which they travel each day looking for food and shelter. In this barren world, many people resort to violence both to eat and find shelter. Thus, the boy and father are left to fend for themselves, not knowing if they can trust others for survival. The primary theme that runs throughout the book is the metaphor of fire. The boy continually asks his father, “Are we carrying the fire?” His question isn’t a practical inquiry, but rather a moral and spiritual one. He’s asking, “Are we still good? Do we believe in morality and character in a dark and broken world? Do we still have hope in each other and in humanity?”
The boy’s question in McCarthy’s novel is in many ways the question of our time. Are we carrying the fire? Are we living with faith, hope, and love in a world of division and brokenness? Do we believe in redemption and resurrection, or are we too far gone? Perhaps our theme verse for the year provides the answer. It comes from John 8:12 where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” As Jesus reminds us, when we follow Him, we never walk in darkness because Christ is the light of life. In Christ, we carry the fire of God’s love wherever we go, inviting others to join us as we fan the flames of grace in a broken and divided world. Will you join us?
Find out more about getting involved with our youth ministry this year.
