8
THETALKS MENTORING
CURRICULUM AND APPROACH
Harold D. DavisR
For years I have been actively involved in helping children. I’m also
a preacher, and one of my favorite scriptures is James 1:27 (KJV): “Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspot-
ted from the world.”
I believe every young person needs a mature adult willing to chal-
lenge him or her with wisdom in the context of love. I was fortunate
to have a dad who would tell me from time to time, “Boy, you’re
crazy!” When I thought about it, he was right. I was crazy. Most fif-
teen- and sixteen-year-old boys are crazy, and they need a man in their
face challenging them with superior wisdom.
To us Christians, James 1:27 is a call not just to religion in gen-
eral but to put our faith into action by looking after fatherless young
people. In my city a few years ago, a community symposium was held
where local leaders talked about the needs of our youth. The keynote
speaker, Donald Draayer, had been an educator for thirty-nine years
and was once National School Superintendent of the Year. After
offering some suggestions toward improving our youth programs, he
said, “The best solutions are those created locally.... [The] key in
any event is for adults to connect with kids on an individual basis....