The Youth of Today
A recent Newsweek article commented that “
Vietnam is a very young nation indeed ” – and this is a statement that is easily verified as you travel through the streets of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or elsewhere. You will see hundreds of students in their school uniform – or for the high school girls in their all-white
ao dai 's (traditional long dress). Young parents will be taking their child (or two children – they very rarely have more than two) to school or Kindergarten on their motorbikes. University students will be busy cramming for exams, or traveling to or fro as they student their chosen subject in the daytime, and attend English classes in the evenings.
In fact, around 70 percent of the population were born after April 1975 – only
30% are over the age of 30. This means that the majority of the population have never known a time of war, especially if you include those who were under five when the war ended in 1975. So, for most of the Vietnamese, the numerous posters by the side of the streets commemorating significant victories in the wars against the French and Americans in days gone by are of limited relevance to daily life – expect, perhaps, to instil a feeling of pride about being Vietnamese.
What really drives the younger Vietnamese of today is a
desire to succeed in life. The future is an open book, and studying hard is seen as the key to a life of prosperity ahead. Even young children are pushed to the limit with extra classes and homework, from the age of as young as 4-5. Outside of the summer holidays, it is rare to see children playing on the streets in the evenings, as they simply have too much work to do.
For teenagers brought up in the church with Christian parents, there are many challenges as they grow up in an environment such as this. They need to deal with the issue of what will be the
priority in their lives , as they decide whether studying to get a good job is their priority, or whether serving the Lord will come first. Having greater academic training that the previous generation, there is the danger that they may find the teaching style in the church is not sufficient to meet their needs and abilities to learn. There is also a need for church leaders to find ways to respond to the changing world, and prepare the young people for the situations they will face in life that will be very different from their own at that time in their lives.
With so many young people in Vietnam, it is a
country in constant change – but will the church be able to find ways to reach this new generation which, otherwise, will remain just as lost as the previous generations?
Praise God:
•for those organizations working among students and young people in Vietnam – this is a crucial ministry
•for peace in Vietnam, and a time of slowly increasing openness and opportunities
Pray for:
•church leaders to respond to the needs of the younger generation in an effective, and perhaps radical way
•young Christians to make wise and godly decisions about the priorities in their lives
•a revival among the younger generation of Vietnamese – may many who are now seeking (and finding) material benefits their parents could only dream of, find spiritual rest for their souls in Christ 
