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Anyway, I started thinking that nowadays it’s not as effective an instruction as it was years ago. In my experience today’s children nearly always answer “why?” I think it’s something to do with the way that education has changed. It’s no longer acceptable just to teach the facts, dates and formulas (a teacher’s mother speaking) one has to encourage children to be curious; to have enquiring minds and constantly question statements so that they learn by experience rather than by rote. This is true whether the subject under discussion is science, art or lifestyle. What it means to me is that I can no longer expect my opinion to be accepted per se. It means that I need to understand myself, my motives and my methods before trying to convince others of their validity. I need to be able to verify my beliefs, to explain my faith and to give a valid account of my life-style. It’s also true for those in authority - even for the Church. The youth of today are far more willing to challenge a statement than we were, but are we really surprised? The wonderful thing is that when they’ve questioned, discussed, looked things up and finally agreed, their support and belief is very often much stronger than those who just acquiesed. So do we need to understand more about our faith and our churches? Do we need to read more, discuss more, maybe even pray more so that we will be more informed? I think, in this instant, the answer must be “Yes” so just do it! Sue Whitehead
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A
young boy walked in front of me the other
day, wearing a very nice T-shirt with “JUST DO
IT” on the back, and I thought he must have
heard it so often from his parents that he’d
decided to wear it permanently. It’s a phrase
I know I must have said a thousand times to
each of my children - just as I heard it so often
myself during my childhood. (It was only later
I discovered it was the latest slogan of a very
large sports company!) 
