When I was a Youth Minister in a Church I remember going to a workshop for Youth Ministers were a well experienced one spoke to the group. He said how much he disliked calling the lay people helping out in the youth ministry and religious education programs ‘volunteers’. He explained that by our baptism we were called to be ministers to each other. Volunteer sounds like you are doing something unexpected. We are all, he said, ministers of God’s word. I had not liked the word ‘volunteer’ so was glad to call the adults in the youth ministry program at the Church ‘youth ministers.’ My job as paid ‘Youth Minister’ was to aid the other ministers in their work.

As I got older people often ask me while don’t you leave the justice and peace issues to young people. I am glad to work with other adults younger than I but when I see injustice or a moral wrong I feel like I do must speak and act on the issue also.

A few weeks ago a long time peace and justice activist, who is also a grandparent, got arrested in a protest around the State of Union address in Washington D.C. When she returned back to Madison to family and friends she questioned why she felt she had to go to D.C. for the nonviolent action when she had been reluctant to go and other things to do. She concluded that she had to go, that is just what she does.”

The sense of we do what we need to do is widespread among us elders. Tonight I went to a birthday party for Dontre Hamilton who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee Police Officer. I met an old friend there. He and his companion are musicians and word poets and he observed that often recently he is the oldest person at many events. I have this experience and we concluded that we both do what we need to do.

A lot of people believe you need to follow your conscience when it is convenient and inconvenient and do what you got to do.

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