i think today's youth are easily fascinated with a lifestyle that goes against the grain of morality. take some of today's most popular tunes in rock and rap:

"money, power respect... is what we need in life!"

this fascination often proclaims shallowness and spiritual poverty. this fascination must change -- youth deserve more than the worship of money, sex, dissipation and meaningless violence.

cfc-youth for christ can tackle this generation's false attitudes for yfc strives to change the person. with that person, he or she affects the family, the family, the community, and eventually, the community, the nation.

kuya terry savage put it clearly in his story of friends mocking him after his decision to follow Christ. but they admired his dedication to stick with his decision. being an example of what Christ wants us to be affects other people in more subtle ways - vastly different from the shallow hype the media offers.

i think this alleged worship of money touted by the media has some grain of truth in it: America is indeed one of the world's wealthiest nations. but in the book of Proverbs, God warns that, "the love of money is the root of all evil."

America is deaf to this warning. i suppose it is safe to say that all over the world, all that is wholesome is made obsolete as America, leader of nations, numbs itself from God.

however, i believe that America also boasts great numbers and quality of yfc members. i believe that like yfc's role in the revolution in the philippines, yfc could also play a role in America -- starting with the individual, then consequently, the whole of society. zen, kuya terry's druggy roommate, could be anyone that a yfc member confronts. i believe that the Holy Spirit that guides this faith community is strong enough to shift trends, and perhaps make trends with members' talents in music and style.

"oh, why do i live this life? must be the money!"

early 19th century poet john keats wrote, "Truth is beauty, and beauty is Truth -- that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." yfc can help bring Truth and Beauty back in today's society person by person, and give satan a run for his money.

mark villegas, 18
jville