Youth explore “scandal of grace”

Almost 200 youth from across Canada and the U.S. took part in Canadian Mennonite University’s annual Peace it Together (PIT) event March 11–13, a peace conference for senior high youth and young adults. Another 100 CMU students and alumni participated in parts of the conference.

PIT group

This year’s theme, “The scandal of grace – loving across boundaries” explored how people can “make the Jesus revolution irresistible by becoming extremists for grace.”

Shane Claiborne, speaker

Speaker Shane Claiborne, a founding partner of Philadelphia’s radical faith community, The Simple Way, explored the topics “Most distressing disguises,” “Collision of the sword and the cross” and “Infectious grace.” Infectious grace, he said, is “about these small things that we do with great love every day.”

Claiborne also suggested that Christians need to become “a home for those who have been completely marginalized.” The metaphor of the mustard seed was used to show that even the most overlooked seed can bear needed fruit. He also dispelled the idea that people can’t be Christians because of their past.

“If people knew all your trash, they’d know they can give this thing a shot,” Claiborne said.

PIT attendees spent the rest of the weekend going to various workshops, including In Exile, a refugee simulation that took place in the Assiniboine Forest behind CMU. Fun activities included a Walk-A-Mile, hanging out in the Night Owl Lounge, and attending a CMU Blazers hockey game, MennoNite Live (a student talent show) and Chillin’ in the Block (a time to get a taste of residence life).

Kristen Ciccarelli, a student from Waterloo, Ont., said “the speaker was incredible, challenging” and that she enjoyed interesting discussions during the Saturday afternoon workshops.

Event organizer Brenda Grunau said the weekend is a “resource for the youth in our churches across Canada.”

Student participants

—Tim Friesen, CMU student