19 April 2008

are you a "tall poppy"?

One of the biggest issues that youth workers address in every culture is peer pressure. Albeit a constant challenge, it takes on many different forms – contingent on the culture, the topic and the youth involved. – and it concerns many different pressures, including crime, drugs, gangs, sex, AIDS, youthful marriage, and even the sex trade industry. Many cultures devalue peer pressure because of this very context, but, in fact, it can be a very useful tool if youth “pressure” their friends in a positive way. For example, in the US, we often encourage individual self-esteem by pointing out special, unique & independent qualities in order to emphasize their “liberation” through free choice & a personal resistance to pressure, such as in the D.A.R.E. program or the Boys & Girls Club "Smart Moves" program. Over the past 2 months, I’ve found it very interesting to observe the New Zealand culture and to seek an understanding of idiosyncrasies such as the “Tall Poppy Syndrome”. From what I’ve learned, Kiwis are generally not taught to rise above and be special; instead they don’t want to stand out, to achieve, or be recognized for their gifts. Anyone who sticks out at all gets knocked down, mocked, or bashed with sarcasm – to keep them in their place, so to speak. It takes a strong person to push on through, against the flow of “normality,” to excel as an unique individual. This “syndrome” seems to me to be a type of cultural peer pressure applied to all ages. Therefore, since Kiwi youth have double the pressure (from culture & their peers), New Zealand youth workers especially need to be equipped to challenge and to disciple kids to stand strong to their convictions. We’ve met some amazing youth workers here in this beautiful country of New Zealand, doing incredible relational ministry. In fact, someone recently pointed out to me that most of those youth who attend church and get involved in youth activities here in New Zealand tend to have a real, deep faith, not just an inherited faith from their parents… and they know that they are going against the flow and that there will be some costs involved as a so-called “tall poppy.” I mentioned Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne in my last post, but I have to quote him once again. “In our culture of ‘seeker sensitivity’ and radical inclusively, the great temptation is to compromise the cost of discipleship in order to draw a larger crowd. With the most sincere hearts, we do not want to see anyone walk away from Jesus because of the discomfort of his cross, so we clip the claws on the Lion a little, we clean up a bit the bloody Passion we are called to follow.” (p. 104) Jesus is a revolutionary, a humanitarian, and an unpredictable Savior. Following His ways will cost us. We need to be real with the youth about this cost, especially in the secular world where it’s “not cool” to have faith in Jesus (even though other religions have become acceptable & “cool”). This idea of “not being cool” or standing out like a “tall poppy” should be expected. We are called not to be of this world, so the world isn’t going to be all about us. I’ve learned a lot from the minority of Believers in this secular country. They’re active in their faith, thirsty to serve, and immersed in community. Ministry takes on a very relational tone, like much of the world, yet “Christianity” is still persecuted in a different way… like it needs to be censored and made “politically correct”… much like the rest of the post-modern, pluralized “western” world. I have to be honest, though… we have been challenged by the New Zealand culture both because it’s where we are beginning our “re-entry” into the “developed world” and because of the numerous idiosyncrasies that separates this culture from the rest of the western world. We’re learning & it continues to be a stretching process, but thanks to incredible people that God has connected us with, we are working through the learning curve. Since my last post we have traveled from the very southern end of the south island all the way up to “Northland” in the north island… And we picked up 2 more travelers along the way – our parents! It’s truly been a blessing both for us & for them! I’ll begin my ‘recap’ of our travels where I left off in the last post… David & Fiona McKenzie of the Central Baptist Church (Invercargill) showered us with a healthy dose of “Southland” hospitality, encouragement & culture, including discussions around contemporary youth issues, stories from their tool shop, as well as an adventurous high-speed motorcycle ride. Then, Darren Frazer & the Winton Salvation Army Corps embraced us for family day with youth at the beach where some surfed in the cold water while others dug through the sand for “treasures.” They also gave us a chance to share our story at their Sunday morning service, and they welcomed us into their homes with fellowship over meals (good NT style). We made our way around & up to Dunedin, via the beautiful Catlins Coast, just in time to make it to the Student Soul gathering at the Otago University Student Center… a casual, emergent-church style gathering of mostly students. We met with the leaders Rev. Helen Harray & Rev. Richard Dawson later for an anointed meeting where Richard gave us perspective on local, regional, & even national issues in the youth culture. We also stayed with a group of young women studying at the University, one of which we’d met at Christmas in Hat Yai, Thailand. Finally, we randomly met up with our old, family friend, Bryan Donnell who happened to be in Dunedin filming while we were there. It was fantastic to reconnect with an old friend after coming across seas of new faces throughout this year. Back in Christchurch, we celebrated Hope’s birthday with a few new friends (from our time there a month before). We also spent a long day of connecting with ministries: visiting Annabel & Fiona at Spreydon Baptist’s SHARP after-care program, helping Student Life hide Easter eggs at an on-campus outreach at Canterbury University, then driving out to the YWAM-Oxford base to hang out with Jenn & meet a bunch of the crew (including a number of Americans), and finally volunteering through the evening to register 4,000+ youth at Easter Camp. We loved Easter Camp: amazing speakers & music, great workshops, wonderful people, meeting contacts from the north island, reconnecting with various youth workers we’d met throughout the south island, watching some youth try out “krumping” (a urban dance style born in Los Angeles), and wandering around the multitude of activities there (from skate ramps to carnival rides to soccer tournaments to art instillations to a giant slip ‘n’ slide)… needless to say, it was a full day! Easter weekend we continued our NZ tour by heading up to Auckland and being greeted at the airport by our new South African friends, the Zwart family, who started out as friends of friends but who very quickly became our extended family & home base in the north island. Hope & I celebrated a wonderful, peaceful Easter with them, including a divine message from a visiting pastor from the Dunedin Elim Church. While with the Zwarts, we connected with their local Elim community in various ways, including short visits with a few of their pastors: Colin with “Power Zone” (a church & after-care program for primary kids), Rebecca with “Voltage” & “Oxygen” (for intermediate & high school age), and Locky with “Edge” & "Sphere" (for the 18-35 year olds). I really appreciate Locky’s passion for working with young adults, who are usually part of the most age group of church families. At the moment, though, this particular Elim church family is going through a great loss after a tragic flash flood took the lives of 6 high school students & a teacher… please pray for them! Also while in Auckland, we caught up with some of the ISC (International Sports Coalition) sports crew and sat in on their small Christian Sports Network gathering. New Zealand is a very active, extreme, sports-crazy culture… both playing and watching, and these guys have a real vision for reaching Kiwis through what Kiwis love – sports. These leaders are at the beginning stages of bringing together a network of sports ministries that can support, encourage, strategize & share resources. I wonder what the Body would look like if we all came together to do this. After this meeting, we raced to the airport to pick up Mom & Dad. We were so excited about seeing them. Waiting for them to get through NZ’s customs was agonizing! We stayed one more night in Auckland with the Zwarts before driving up the beautiful coast to the Northlands. We stayed in Whangarei with a couple couch-surfers who had room for all 4 of us (their first family to host)! Stu was an incredible host: openly sharing his space, showing us his favorite local spots, including Ocean Beach, and even hooking me up with an opportunity to try out wake-boarding… overall, a great, first couch-surfing experience for Mom & Dad. While in the north, we had a blessed experience connecting with the Land family out in a remote mountain valley near Opononi & Hokianga Harbor -- a family under the auspices of the Catholic Workers Movement, dedicated to living sustainably & organically. Our time with this amazing family included singing, prayer, stories, and a small Maori traditional greeting by their beautiful developmentally disabled son, Gilbert. Back in Auckland for a brief stay, we managed to fit in a vibrant service at the Life Church, a visit with established youth trainer & humble teacher Murray Brown (with YouthTrain), and a lively evening service back at the Elim Church in Howick. I also spent a morning with Kevin Reeves, leader of the King’s Kids program at the Auckland YWAM base. While visiting the base, I had the unique opportunity to meet some Samoan guys who are pursuing & sharing their faith through traditional South Pacific dancing & drumming all over the world! We began our trip southward by stopping over at The Salvation Army’s Blue Mountain Adventure Centre (BMAC) in Ruarimu. Hania, Kyle, Billy, Kent, Leanne & their beautiful family blessed us with a couple nights of rest & fellowship near the beautiful, majestic Tongariro National Park. On our way down to Wellington, we visited the peaceful community of Camp Ngatiawa. I’m incredibly thankful that my Kiwi friend Aaron Roberts got us in touch with Jenny & Justin Duckworth. Our time with them was rich with prayer & liturgy, discussion & teaching, work & adventure, laughter & delicious food… all in only 2 days! I would love to come back to spend more time with this amazing community (Al & Anita, Ray, & all the wonderful kids). On our way down towards Wellington we stopped by one of the three L'Arche Homes in Paraparaumu for a powerful, yet brief visit with Tim, other staff, & clients. While in the Wellington area, we were hosted by an incredibly nurturing couple -- Lloyd & Anthea Martin. Lloyd is a humble visionary & youth trainer who facilitates a practical, innovative education program called Praxis, which aims to develop & strengthen youth workers into more intentionally effective leaders in New Zealand, Australia & the South Pacific. Anthea works as a “resource teacher” (social work) with behaviorally challenged high school students, but she balances her demanding job with play (like adamantly supporting her favorite rugby team, the Hurricanes). While staying in Porirua, we worshipped with St. Barnabas Presbyterian just north of town, and we joined Lloyd & Anthea’s fellowship with their community. In Wellington, we connected with some fantastic people involved in some amazing, urban ministry. We spent a Sunday evening with “Still Waters”, an intentional community in the city reaching out to the homeless and needy. The evening began with a casual worship service or gathering with song, prayer, the Word & a short teaching. Then it moved into fellowship and ended with a wonderful meal & blessed discussion with Andrew, Sacha, Jason, Anne, Colleen & Warwick. The next day, we visited with Cat & Tom who are part of Urban Vision (the original inspiration for Still Waters) and living in the Newtown Tennant High Rises (government “council” housing). At the end of our short time in Wellington, we squeezed in a visit with Steve Molan & his wife Faye at The Salvation Army’s “614” program -- an innovative, relational & incarnational ministry with young people all over the Wellington city center. We also fit a short visit in with the “god-mother” of youth work for NZ who we’d met at Easter Camp, Merrilyn Withers. She & her sister are a traveling duo , based in Wellington, with years of experience in youth work... quite an inspiration. As we headed back north, we stopped through Raurimu again to share a meal & evening with our new BMAC family. Then, we stopped through Lake Taupo for a bungy jump!, hot thermal pools & lunch. As we finished lunch, we “randomly” observed a group of young people who began singing & hip-hop dancing on the street. We learned that this group was from the Equippers Church in Auckland and that they had come to Taupo to help reach out to the youth community… an interesting “God-incidence”. Continuing northward, we spent some quality time in the Bay of Plenty: connecting with Anthea’s parents, her sister & family in Whakatane, then fellowshipping with an incarnational community in the Merivale neighborhood of Tauranga (Gregg, Bron, Bo, Lizzy, Katrina, Stuart, Jo, Graham& family), and finally taking a day to drive through the incredibly beautiful Coromandel Peninsula on our way back to Auckland. We soaked in Mom & Dad’s love through our last days. Together we worshipped at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, one of the oldest churches in NZ. One of the most interesting parts of this experience was worshipping in the midst of this classic European-style cathedral, which was gutted out & set up in a contemporary style (chairs set up sideways to face a big screen & band). We also joined our new friend Frank & his family (another friend of a friend) at the Journey Church (in Grey Lynn Community Center) where we enjoyed their nurturing community, prophetic, relevant, & humorous teaching, and wonderful conversations. As we packed up & got ready to leave NZ, we squeezed in a visit with Andrew Kerr from the ISC group who was gracious enough to come all the way over to Howick area for a visit. It was sad to say goodbye to Mom & Dad. Our time with them was filled with blessed conversations, anointed prayers & shifting perspectives. We continue to pray for Mom's health and for the doctors that examine her. We pray that they will be shocked at her improvement, so she can give God all the glory! While Mom & Dad were on their way home (via San Francisco for a visit with Mardie & Tony), we flew back down to Christchurch where our wonderful new friend Jason picked us up & drove us out to Governor’s Bay for lunch. Then, at the Rodem House's "international night," we enjoyed an evening of fellowship, good food, and a chance to share God’s unique calls for us on this trip (in front of over 50 people!). Finally, in our few remaining hours in NZ, we ate lunch with our new amazing sister & friend, Charlotte Boyes, who works as a 24/7 youth worker in the Spreydon Baptist community. We are so incredibly thankful for the 2 months we spent in this beautiful country. We learned & saw so much! We’re now in Sydney staying with an ISC friend, Rosemaree, who has graciously opened her home as a "base" for us, and we’ve already managed to connect with a few ministries & people. I have to say it’s strange being back here after 16 years, and I know it’ll only get even more weird as I revisit Canberra -- my old stomping grounds as a Rotary International Exchange Student that long ago.