Battlezone

I went to bed last night feeling somewhat a loss for "kids these days." Imagine my delight, upon awakening this morning, to find a group of fresh-faced youngsters grinning off the screen telling about their powerful experiences with Battlecry. The youth of America can be saved from a future of back of the shop class sex and enraged peer conflicts sponsored by parents. According to one of the youths, they planned to "worship their brains out" this weekend here in the Bay Area.
More to the point, they plan to "worship their brains out" in the heart of what is considered by many (including those who choose to live there) as a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. The kickoff this morning hit a snag because the San Francisco authorities would not allow them to crank up their Public Address system before ten o'clock in the morning. These young warriors would not be hindered. They used portable radios to hear the Word. And they raised their voices - aided by an Internet broadcast, and the Lord's gift of double A batteries. Though it does occur to me the the Sermon on the Mount was given sans amplification.
Battlecry is the product of Christian brainchild Ron Luce, founder and CEO of TeenMania Ministries. If it sounds a little confrontational compared to other ministries, consider these words from the founder: "This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful’ ones—will lay hold of the kingdom." Can I have an amen and pass the ammunition? Their web site includes banners announcing, "This is the generation without morality," and "This is a generation without truth." It makes me sad because as a parent and a teacher I have the same reactions to the things I see on the news and read on the Internet. I wish there was a place for young people, all people, to get morality and truth free of an agenda. Just like Jimmys Swaggart and Bakker, you can hear the hypocrisy stopwatch ticking from the moment that they open their mouths. It would be a beautiful thing if there was a place to go for salvation that didn't come without a price.

And the sign says "Everybody welcome Come in Kneel down and pray"
But then they passed around a plate at the end of it all
And I didn't have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign
I said Thank you Lord for thinking about me I'm alive and doing fine
- Five Man Electrical Band