Rivonte Moore, 17, doesn’t think of himself as a theologian. But he raised his hand in a class at Atlanta’s Candler School of Theology last summer to debate the meaning of the term “sentimental nihilism” as used by Cornel West in Democracy Matters.
Moore was one of 39 students at Candler who took part in the Youth Theological Initiative (YTI)””three weeks of learning, service and reflection for youth of high school age. Moore, from Jacksonville, Florida, has no plans to enter the ministry but found his time at Candler surprisingly exciting. “I thought it would be cool. I didn’t think it would be this cool.”
He was moved by the visit to a synagogue, where the singing in Hebrew was very different from his own church experience, yet the prayers were to the same God. He was stunned to learn that Muslims pray five times a day; in his tradition, showing up at church once a week was enough. He enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds and figuring out how to express himself and how to listen. He doesn’t know what impact all of this will have on his life, but he does not question that he has been changed.