Lion Cubs Den

Widelake Secondary School has been almost uncharted territory for me in all the time I've been in Swanvale Halt. There is a Christian ecumenical youth work charity in the area that goes in to run a Christian Union and do seasonal assemblies, but paradoxically I suspect that means I have less contact with the school than I would have if they didn't exist at all. So I was delighted to be asked to visit by the RE coordinator to speak to two classes, bring some kit, and answer questions, last Friday. The younger group were studying Christianity as part of their general RE course, while the older ones were at a more philosophical level, and so it proved. I really enjoyed the experience. They were (mainly) interested and engaged and the second group provided some genuine intellectual stimulation. The very first question I was offered by them came from a girl whose opening gambit was 'I don't mean this with any kind of disrespect ...', which made everyone laugh, and who went on not to tackle the Church's attitude to same-sex relationships or child abuse but to ask, 'You spoke about prayer and how it works. How can you tell that what you experience isn't just the effect of long-term self-analysis and examination?' I thought that was rather brilliant, because of course it could be and (as I said) there's no way of proving it isn't. I feel hugely encouraged to think there are such thoughtful young people in our community (even if they don't come anywhere near the church).