Ytterjärna, Sweden. What is life like as a young person in today’s world? We asked around. Answers from Phoebe Leenhouwers from Aotearoa New Zealand, currently a participant of the Youth Initiative Program in Ytterjärna, Sweden.
Do you have a connection to spirituality? If so, what does that look like?
In my early teenage years church was a place of belonging. I prayed a lot, chose to be baptised at 13, sang in the worship team at church and became fascinated by creationism. But it felt increasingly odd to claim to be enlightened when every other group claimed the same. I realised this once when I got into a tense conversation about evolutionism with a friend. It wasn’t quite the same with us afterwards. I realised, firstly, that I don’t have the right to claim my perspective as true and others’ not. Secondly, I questioned if Christianity really brings people together—as I was led to believe—or if it actually pushes people apart. Eventually Christianity disappeared from my life. I didn’t have any curiosity or need to explore spirituality for many years. This past year the curiosity has bubbled back up in me as a result of starting the Youth Initiative Program which has given me diverse, eye-opening experiences and an environment to explore questions of spirituality freely. I’ve come to feel that there are infinite contradicting truths and that the world is full of mystery and meaning if you choose to see it. My spirituality recently has been allowing myself to fall in love with the world and with people through open-mindedness to what’s more.
Translation Paula Boslau
Image Self-portrait by Phoebe
