I stood in the colossal concrete hallway outside the theatre and gazed at my surroundings. The air hung thick with humidity and chatter, and it was impossible not to be pressed up against the other participants. Some were in large groups, others stood off by themselves but everyone had the same expression: a blend of exhaustion, exasperation and excitement.
We finally filed into the theatre and my friend and I took our seats. It was hard to imagine that not even eight hours earlier we were sprinting and exploring in a seemingly deserted campus. This may have been my second time at Canada Youth, but I still had no idea what to expect from the coming week. I peered down the incline of seats to see the group of people I had met earlier. I still knew only a few of their names, yet I felt completely accepted and at ease when I was around them, a sensation I barely experienced with even my closest friends at home. As the countdown on the screen fell, my pulse quickened and my adrenaline flowed. Suddenly in the last 10 seconds before our first worship started, the theatre flew to their feet and the energy that can only come from 500 hopeful and overwhelmed youth exploded into the final few numbers as we shouted with absolutely everything we had in us “Five, Four, Three, Two..”
Looking back on that week I can’t decide if it felt like it was just yesterday or another lifetime, but one thing I know for sure is that is an experience I will carry with me as long as I live. I can scarcely go more than five minutes without memories of a multitude of multicultural songs, lessons, or friends making me smile. Saying Canada Youth affected the way I view my faith would be far too much of an understatement. It has completely transformed the way I perceive my future, friends and relationship with God. I would be lying if I said every lesson I learned was easy to hear and there were occasions I felt lost, guilty, and deeply troubled. However, without experiencing those emotions I would not be able to comprehend the true meaning of unconditional love. I have heard the phrase “Jesus loves you” hundreds of times throughout my life—to the point where I barely think of it anymore. It was not until my emotions had completely surfaced, until I had gone through a day of devotionals, plenary talks, songs, and scriptures that, when this simple phrase I had heard all my life was whispered by a friend during a hug in the passing of the peace at worship, it was as if it was the first time I had heard it. Few words have ever had more of an impact.
It is very rare to have the opportunity to devote yourself to your faith all day, every day in such a vast array of settings. Whether it is on a massive scale in worship, a calmer gathering in plenary, discussions with our small groups or synods, or sometimes most importantly debriefing with friends, I have never had every moment of the day have so much significance. There is nothing comparable to the relationships you develop while not only living with people for five days but sharing your very best and worst moments with them. I have never laughed harder and more often or had so much sentiment in an embrace than with my friends, or should I say family, I met at Canada Youth. Becoming that close to that many truly incredible people from all across Canada could only be the work of God.
As amazing as those memories are, it is terribly disheartening to attempt to leave them behind. Being back in Victoria is still difficult to grasp and keeping that fire we talked so much about burning can be a challenge. In many ways Brock feels more like my home than the house I have lived in my entire life. Our talks on the last day focused on descending from a “mountain top experience” and I can think of no better way to describe my week in Ontario. Some days the walk down the mountain is joyful, sociable and leisurely while other times I feel as though I am plummeting uncontrollably to the earth and to do any of it alone would be unbearable. Luckily for me I am never alone, a fact my friends rarely let me forget. They are always there to lighten the walk, that burning fire never lets me quit when the descent is steep, and no matter what wrong turns I make, God will always be there to guide me. Glory in the highest.
More reflections from Canada Youth 2012
