Many people contact us to know if we are safe, because we are right in the middle of the area where riots are taking place: anarchist youngsters are fighting with the police, burning cars and destroying stores to express their anger after the death of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos, who was shot by a policeman.
We ARE safe, thank G-d, and do not try to get out when the riots are in full swing. But the truth is that outside of the main points of friction between police and youth, things are pretty quiet. One street can be on fire while the next ones are empty and “safe”. The smell of tear gas and charred items (garbage bins, cars) is still lingering around though.
Anarchists youth are known for rioting in Greece and clashing every so often with the police forces. (But never to that degree in the last 7 years that we have lived here). While I totally disagree with their behavior, I think we can learn something from their energy and their quest for meaning, their willingness to fight for ideals.
Young people look for a meaningful cause, their energy and the tension that inhabits them has the tremendous power of fire: Channeled in the right direction, it can change the world for the better. Left to its own device, it can destroy everything in its path.
Young people have the refreshing quality of rebellion: they don’t not accept the problematic world that adults are showing them, they revolt against injustice, against oppression, they do not resign themselves to the situation as it is. Youth still believe in changing and improving the world, something that has been lost by many adults who have raised their hands and got caught with the trials of their everyday life.
A youngster that was hanging out with the wrong friends and engaging in all kind of inappropriate behaviors was sent in once to see Rabbi Shneor Zalman from Liadi, the author of the Tanya, and founder of the Chabad Movement. This teenager loved horseback riding and this is the subject that the rabbi stared to chat about:
"What are the differences between an old horse and a young horse?" asked the Rebbe.
"A good young horse runs fast. You gallop away and you reach your destination so much quicker," said the young man enthusiastically.
"That is all very well if you are on the right road," countered the Rebbe, "but what if you are on the wrong road?"
"Even so," insisted the young man, "the horse could help you quickly get back to the right road, if you catch yourself and see that you are on the wrong road. . . ."
"If you catch yourself and see that you are on the wrong road," the Rebbe repeated slowly and emphatically. "Yes, my son, if you catch yourself before it is too late, and realize that you have strayed from the right path; then you can quickly return. . . ."
This is the advantage of youthful energy: it has tremendous power but it needs to be channeled towards good actions, towards creative expression. Youth should be engaged in study, in volunteering for worthwhile causes. Their rebellion should not be crushed, but redirected.
And us adults can learn from them not to accept the Status Quo, not to resign ourselves to the current state of the world but to continue to fight for improving it, one good action at the time.
(based in part on "Toward a meaningful life - the wisdom of the Rebbe, by Simon Jacobson)
Baruch wrote...