Have you been watching? It’s compelling. It will suck you in. It’s certainly done that for millions of kids. It’s the Neflix series “13 Reasons Why.” High School student Hannah Baker has taken her own life. But before she does, she records a series of messages to individuals who have given her a reason. Like I said. . . it’s compelling.
The series seems to hit on just about every single teen issue and cultural reality we talk about here at CPYU. We’ll be talking more about the show in coming days. Suffice to say for now that one of the trends “13 Reasons Why” so clearly reflects is a trend reflected through its’ absence. The life-giving narrative of the Gospel isn’t there. In fact, in its’ place is a huge void. . . which is exactly what happens in lives young and old alike when the narrative one lives (or dies) by lacks hope.
Since watching “13 Reasons Why,” I’ve been thinking about how to best respond. The implications are not just one or two. There’s a multitude. But one that sticks out to me right now is one that has to do with those called to love and lead kids. It’s an implication for parents and youth workers: To give hope, we must have hope. And the starting point for doing that in a culture that has lost its’ true north is to do some good hard listening ourselves. We must be intent on listening ourselves to the narrative of the Word, rather than to the empty narrative of the world.
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Source: CPYU
