The Rev. Roeline Ramirez, pastor of Ignite United Methodist Church in Kenilworth, reports on a gathering March 3 of youth and young adults for a “Love Talk” dialogue.
Ten youth attended onsite and three online, plus eight young adults (including herself). Three married couples participated in the panel discussion, offering different perspectives. They were four months married, six years married and 30 years married.
“We had fun and meaningful discussions in two hours of our togetherness,” reported Ramirez. First, there was a short discussion about four kinds of love and dating. Then, each couple had 10 minutes to share their “love story” of courtship, marriage, challenges and behaviors that make their unions stronger.
A 10-minute talk about rejection and heartbreak followed, as one young adult told of her failed marriage and how her faith in God not only helped her overcome depression but also led her to find her current husband.
To break the silence afterward, participants were asked to fill in blanks with one word: “If I think of love, love is _______.” Commitment, heart, safety, pain, endure and patience are some of the words Ramirez recalls hearing.
Then, the gathering engaged in nearly an hour of questions and answers. Questions posed anonymously by the youth included:
- What should I do if others disapprove of my relationship?
- Why does nobody approach me?
- Do you actually need to love yourself before loving someone else? If so, how?
- What is the right age to court someone? How to court someone you like?
- How can God be included in a relationship? How important is it?
- How do you balance your work life and your love life?
- Did you feel like you had to get married after a certain point in your relationship?
- How do I know if I am ready for marriage?
- If I am in a relationship, how do I know that this person is truly for me?
View photos and videos of the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/igniteumc.kenilworth.7/photos_by https://www.facebook.com/jayyajyaj.viuya/videos/1401552387156984 Facebook