I love Young Life.

As I sat and watched a YL Club here in Arusha last week many thoughts went through my head. I couldn't help but be reminded of the first Club I saw in the DR while on a workteam. I remembered being overwhelmed because I couldn't understand a lick of what was being said. Yet, at the same time, feeling a sense of comfort because in many respects it was the same YL that I familiar with. You have the same games...


Same YL Skit where a leader has to look like an idiot...

And the same songs...the crowd favorites were Tracy Chapman's "Sorry" and a Swahili rendition of "Blind Man."
And, I was reminded that my absolute favorite YL Clubs are ones where all I have to do is sit and watch.

I have always thought one of, if not the, best things about Young Life is its ability to cross cultural divides. I have had the privilege to see YL in a few different countries and know that it can transcend international differences. But I have also witnessed it cross the cultural differences that come from age, economic status, or even simply living in a different part of town. I am not saying there aren't any differences. At this Club we all took our shoes off at the door, while in the DR it took one failed shoe-swap game to make it clear Dominicans were not about to take their shoes off for anything.

So what is it? Is it the fact that there are the same songs, the same pressure to come up with the coolest YL area t-shirts or the fact that every good skit closet includes at least one set of false teeth? Sure, this may be a part of it. But I think that ultimately it goes to show that everyone longs to for a bit (or a lot) of Jesus. Anyone remotely familiar with YL knows that the key is the relationships that are formed. And anyone remotely familiar with Jesus knows that this is what he spent a majority of his time doing, simply being with others and taking the time to get to know them.

I love being in a place where it is culturally appropriate to value people above time.