Just before my church youth group arrived on Saturday afternoon, a water pipe burst at the crisis assistance center where we were scheduled to serve. We needed to pivot, and quickly! Our leader, unflappable as always, remembered that last year we had heard about a nearby prayer and meditation center. To their credit, the teenagers accepted the new plan without complaint. At the evening debrief, several mentioned it was a highlight of the day.
The prayer center was located in the education wing of a church, with each classroom divided into several stations designed to engage and inspire one’s senses. There were areas to draw or color, books to read, and couches to sit and listen to music. The thought of a nap crossed my mind.
But wandering and wondering through the stations, I found myself before a poster board labeled “BHAP: Big Hairy Audacious Prayers.” I chuckled. “Big hairy” conjures up a yeti! I bet a youth came up with this phrase!
But as I sat quietly with the idea, I realized that, while I have been called big and hairy by my own children, I was drawn to the word audacious, which brought the younger generations to mind in positive ways. It’s true that the term can be negative. But youth exhibit a certain bravery and boldness to be who they are, even in new situations when, through no fault of their own, the plans change.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord (as recorded through the prophet Jeremiah), “plans to give you a hope and a future.” That is an audacious claim for a people suffering through exile, and perhaps just as audacious to believe in our time of violent upheaval. Do I worry about the future? Is a yeti big and hairy?!
Yet, I love to spend time with this younger generation. How they are silly and serious from moment to moment. How they share their highs and lows. How they affirm and appreciate each other. Though not found on their Spotify mix, they live into the vision of the old hymn, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” That is the kind of faith which leads to joy in the moment and justice in the future, and the youth are living prayers themselves.
I might be a big, hairy guy, but I know the audacity of hope when I see it. And so: amen.
