At some point our elders noticed how many students were leaving their faith after high school. By asking questions they discovered why, and one of the reasons was subtly referenced in a Wall Street Journal review of Where the Wild Things Are. It mentioned the point where Max’s “pretend power” came up against reality.

When our students graduate from youth group, do they possess more than pretend power? Kevin DeYoung, author of Just Do Something, also commented on this syndrome in his blog. Here’s an excerpt:

Church people are not stupid. They are not incapable of learning. For the most part, they simply haven’t been taught. No one has challenged them to think a deep thought or read a difficult book. No one has asked them to articulate their faith in biblical and theological categories. We have expected almost nothing of our young people, so that’s what we get. A couple generations ago 20-year-olds were getting married, starting a family, working at a real job, or off somewhere fighting Nazis. Today 35-year-olds are hanging out on Facebook, looking for direction, and trying to find themselves. We have been coddled when we should have been challenged.