Hello. My name’s Alex Taylor, and I’m the newest member of the Childrenswork team. If there’s one thing that you need to know about me (apart from the fact that I follow Jesus, of course), it’s that I love Eurovision. There, I’ve said it. I love everything about it: the terrible music, the over-enthusiastic hosts, the sarcastic commentary, the vain hope that this year the United Kingdom might win (come on Bonnie!).
I know it’s not the coolest thing to admit, but then I think everyone has something they love which is actually quite embarrassing. A friend of mine – a married man in his 30s – LOVES Barry Manilow. He’s seen him four times, and on their wedding day, he and his wife walked down the aisle to Can’t Smile Without You (I’m not sure what his wife thought about that, but she grinned throughout – such is love…).
These embarrassing things are part of who we are. Why should we hide them? When I work with children and young people, I’m always talking about Eurovision. Some of them look at me like I’m a crazy person (unsurprisingly), but others appreciate the honesty (and some of them even like it themselves). Children have an uncanny knack of seeing straight through fakery, so when they see us being honest (and not caring what others think), it helps establish us as being authentic and trustworthy. Moreover, it opens up the way for them to be honest too.
Leaving aside Eurovision (as if you ever could), the main thing we need to be honest about is our faith. If we honestly live out our faith, then the children in our groups, clubs, assemblies and services will see Christ in us. And it’s this – a life lived for Jesus – combined with exploring the Bible together, a bit of teaching, a dash of mentoring and a readiness to listen and learn from children, which will speak loudly of God’s love for each child and the gift of forgiveness through what Jesus did.
So, stand up for what you like, regardless of what anyone else thinks. But, more importantly, stand up for your love of Christ. And remember to cheer on Bonnie at Eurovision. After the UK’s performances in recent years, she needs all the help she can get.
Alex Taylor is a freelance writer, trainer and experienced children’s worker. He’s currently writing an all-age service plan for our next issue.
