life today for adolescents - as I see it

One thing I am realizing this semester with St. Charles Young Life is more of the hurt that exists in today's society. It has been there for a long time, and sadly, it's not leaving any time soon.


2 songs come to mind that to me capture youth today, or at least those I minister unto; Papa Roach - Broken Home and The Fray - How to Save a Life

Here's an explanation for each song, feel free to play it and read along:

Papa Roach - Broken Home

To me, this song is kind of like a modern "cats in the cradle" by Harry Chapin, in which Papa Roach's song quickly identifies the person (presumably a youth, or recollection from childhood) who has come from a house that's been shook to its foundation by divorce (and if you watch the music video it shows that there might have been something more). The song is not a downer, but it paints a sad picture of what's taken place, but also it touches on the subject that quite possibly it is a generational deja-vu; i.e. what happens to the youth, happened to the youth's father.
I can relate to this song, while my parents haven't divorced, there have been a lot of events in these days/weeks/months that has shaken the core of our family, and sadly I didn't think it would turn out like this, but it was definitely heading somewhere downhill.
Working with youth who come from broken homes, I've made myself close and yet there's some distance because how can I relate? Yet as a result of the things that have been taking place in my life/family life, I can identify with them better, it's not all sympathy, but I am starting to become empathetic.

The Fray - How to Save a Life
Is this a song about the what-ifs of life as a result of a friend who has killed themself? Is it regret for not doing something different in the life of someone else? I'm not certain to the fullest extent of what this song is exactly about (here's the music video) and yet it paints another picture of what the youth I work with are going through.
Even tonight, as I talked to one of the youth, I asked him who a certain someone was in which he titled his MySpace for a while, he shared with me that it was a friends sister or some similar to that -- the girl committed suicide. He mentioned that she was on the verge of committing suicide for some time now, he said she attempted 8-9 times prior to this one that sadly ended her life. This suicide isn't the first one mentioned, during a time in which we've prayed as a group of guys, several of the youth mentioned how they had friends/relatives commit or try to commit suicide, some guys even mentioned they were the ones who helped their peers to not commit suicide.
Such is the burden that some of the youth today have to carry on their backs, it's a heavy burden and as a youth leader/youth pastor of sorts, it saddens me that satan has planted dispair and hopelessness, as if to say 'the only way out is by death.'

In all, youth today have it rough, and even if it is obvious, we who are youth pastors and youth leaders need to get involved and help out youth. Even if it is not our title/position, we who are followers of Christ need to help out.

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