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Youth Chaplain’s Corner
Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- One True God! Amen!
“Look, here is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?”
Acts 8:36
Dear beloved in Christ,
Grace and peace to you as we step into the month of August. This
is often a season of transition. The summer begins to fade, and
many of us are preparing to return to school, to college campuses,
or to our regular routines. Some of us may be excited about what is ahead. Others may be carrying
questions, restlessness, or quiet uncertainty.
In the Book of Acts, chapter 8, we encounter a man who was also in transition. He was an Ethiopi-
an official, a royal servant, riding through the desert after trying to worship in Jerusalem. While his
eyes were open reading from the Book of Isaiah, he did not yet understand what he was reading. He
wanted more, his heart ached for more.
This man had every reason to believe that he did not belong. He was different in his race, in his
status, and in his identity. As a eunuch, he was not allowed full access to Temple worship. He had
been labeled and limited by others. And yet, God sent someone to meet him. God sent Philip.
Philip did not wait for the man to find his way into a church building. He did not shame him or
question his worthiness. He simply came close. He listened. He opened the Scriptures. And he
introduced him to Jesus.
As they traveled together, they came to a place where there was water. The man asked a simple but
powerful question.
“What is to prevent me from being baptized?”
It was not just a theological question. It was a question that came from deep places of rejection and
exclusion. It was the kind of question many young people carry in their hearts today.
Am I too broken to belong? Are my questions too dangerous? Is my past too heavy? Will I be wel-
comed just as I am?
Philip does not argue or delay. He stops the chariot. He baptizes the man. No barriers. No waiting
period. Just grace... Just welcome... Just Jesus.
To the beloved youth of our parishes and region, We must ask ourselves sincerely: What is stopping
us? What is holding us back from fully trusting Jesus with our life? What is preventing us from
entering deeper into faith, into prayer, into service? Is it fear of failure? Is it a sense of shame or
confusion? Is it the lie that we must be perfect before God can use us? Let us say with clarity and
love: God is not the one who is stopping us.
God comes to us where we are. Whether on a campus, in our room, on the train, or walking
through a quiet season of doubt. He is still speaking. He is still calling. And He is still saying, “You
are mine” there is a place for us at His table.
As we move through these final weeks of summer, We must be encouraged to take time to reflect
on what we may need to surrender. Bring our questions before the Lord. Be honest about where we
stand, and know that God will not turn us away.
The Church is not a place for perfect people. It is a home for seekers, wanderers, and those who are
learning to believe again. It is where questions become prayers and where dry seasons become plac-
es of renewal. We are not too late. We are not too far gone. We are not beyond hope. We are exact-
ly the one that Jesus is ready to meet.
Let us go forward together, with courage, with humility, and with confidence in the One who still
calls us by name.
Yours in Christ,
JVarghese Achen