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That's Not Fair!

The beginning of the school year can be a challenging time for Youth for Christ ministry in the Czech Republic. School events, adaptation courses, new school schedules and other clubs create conflicts that make it difficult for young people to attend. Nevertheless, staff laid the “foundations” for their club ministry as they started a new year. Leaders reminded attendees of the rules, looked for what the kids based their lives on and what is important to them, and created a place of acceptance and safety.

On the last club in September (it was a bank holiday in the Czech Republic),  12 kids showed up. As usual, they were wild, but it seemed healthy. There was no anger or bad talk between them. They kept shouting over one another and while explaining the activities, one leader had to pause several times and wait for them to quiet down. In all of this, he decided to just play a game with them: They had to choose by themselves whether each statement read aloud was fair or unfair. Suddenly, they calmed down and kept asking for more and more sentences. By turning a cup, they would each express their opinion as to whether the statements were fair or unfair:

  • No drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes before turning 18 (kids: unfair)
  • Footballers earn more money a year than firefighters (kids: fair)
  • People of color tend to receive higher penalty rates that white people (kids: unfair)
  • The whole class at school is punished for a one pupil’s mistake (kids: unfair)
  • The highest penalty rate in the Czech Republic is a life sentence, not a death sentence…

The last topic initiated quite a debate. One boy who is often playing tough and is quite vulgar and aggressive started in: “Those who abuse children should snuff it,” he said.

Someone replied: “Life sentence is worse, those people get beatings from other prisoners, too. So they suffer more…”

The boy said: “OK then. My a**hole father should go there…”

While YFC leaders are sorry for the trauma this young boy has obviously endured, they are grateful that he found his way to them and he is learning to trust. In such God-led moments, even tough boys like him can open up and show a part of their lives.

  • God loves you, even though you do not always do what is right (kids: fair)

“So even when I steal and kill, God loves me? That’s not fair…” replied one leader. “Yes, he loves you, but he is upset about your behavior. When you have your own children and they don’t do what is right, you will love them anyway, right?”

They said: “You’re right.”