A RECKLESS OPTIMISM

BY OLSEN PANCOAST

certain activities or groups if it’s not something they truly enjoy or are engaged with.

Katie Weiland framed it in this way—obligation vs. participation or passive vs. interactive. If an event or a group that someone is a part of feels like an obligation or something they just sit through without getting something out of it, then they probably won’t give much time or energy to that event or group. But if something is engaging and they are interacting with their local community in a meaningful way, then that will probably be something that they will continue to make that a priority in their lives.

For younger generations, hope is a tricky subject. There’s so much negativity in the world. Hope is hard when we’re bombarded with negative news or click-bait headlines about the latest natural disaster, shooting or international incident. With near constant bad news about the climate crisis—is there hope that we will be able to live in a recognizable planet in 50 years?

Recently, those of us at Koin, our high school ministry here at SPD, had a conversation about where we saw hope in the world. As the students shared stories of small acts of kindness—like holding the door, donating change to local charities, or moving lunch tables so nobody is sitting alone—it was clear that they saw these things as acts of not just kindness, but hope. These young people were also able to see hope in the wider world as well, especially in the way that young people are motivated by the injustice in the country and world to vote. They want to make themselves heard, to make the world better—that’s incredibly hopeful.

We’re asking this same question to a group of young adults from St. Philip the Deacon. We meet a couple times a month at Luce Line Brewing for community and fellowship, and it’s been a gift to share conversations like this with them. As they spoke, I noticed two common themes within groups. The high schoolers (mostly Generation Z) and the young adults (mostly younger Millennials) both said they mostly see hope in the world in community and in the attitude they adopt toward the world.

Anna Ingemann referred to her attitude as “reckless optimism,” which she explained as adjusting your own attitude to meet expectations. She added that though something might not have turned out the way you imagined it going, being able to pick yourself up and find something good within that experience is reckless optimism. Mental health experts would describe this quality as resiliency. To be resilient is a hard, yet important, skill to develop in this broken world.

Gathering in community was another place that both groups found hope. As we come out of the pandemic, people are getting more intentional about where they spend their “public time.” People are starting to leave

That is where the community of St. Philip the Deacon can come in. At SPD, we care about our faith community and the larger community of which we are a part. We are engaged and committed to making a difference, and that is such a huge draw for young adults. In a time where there are so many options for things to do, it’s important that we stay authentic to who we are as a faith community. This means continuing to reach out to those who are lonely or in need, unashamedly proclaiming the Gospel, and inspiring others through lives lived in service of that Gospel. This kind of authentic witness to our faith, lived lightly and freely, is contagious and appeals to those of all generations.

So, while there is certainly a whole lot going on in the world that can make one lose hope, communities of faith like Koin, our young adult group, or the numerous other groups at SPD are filled with faithful people active in the world as God’s hands and feet—and that’s something to feel hopeful about.

Young adults who are LOOKING FOR CONNECTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT in their faith are invited to join us at LUCE LINE BREWING twice a month for our young adult ministry. We enjoy the lively atmosphere, share food, faith and fellowship. For more information and the next meeting date, contact OLSEN PANCOAST with questions at opancoast@spdlc.org or text him at 701-578-5041.