Last week, I talked with a couple of guys about a place called "The Spot." It is an abandoned tennis court out in the middle of the woods that has become a defacto mini-skate park. Some of the youth have built ramps and a full skate course on it. Young boarders come there to hang out, practice their latest trick and generally get into some trouble. Some kids smoke and could possibly even do some drugs there.
The Spot is isolated from the rest of suburbia - a dream land where adolescents can escape the watchful eyes of parents, police and others who would "ruin" their "fun." Youth like to come their to be with friends. They feel independent as they can do what they want without being harassed by adults. Youth experience new things at The Spot. They take risks and experience new rushes. They push the boudaries.
Many of the youth at The Spot probably think of themselves as cool, risk takers and free thinkers. But they are lemmings. They are no different than the generations before them that used to go to abandoned barns to smoke cigarettes. The drugs may have changed and become more severe. Some youth may be more violent or sexually active. The style may be different. But the motives, desires and actions are very much the same. There are still those who escape the pain of reality by drugs. Teens today are still rebellous in nature and prone to experiment with things that they are not ready to handle. Youth are curious about sex, and they have desire for power and autonomy. They want to fit in while still being thought of as their own person.
We have all had "The Spot" at times in our lives. These are places, people or actions that we like to keep hidden. This allows us to go there and have "fun" without the risk of getting caught. These are things that help us escape the boredom of the typical life and experience the freedom of being a rebel. Am I being too dramatic? Am I taking it too far? I don't think so. We all have some rebel in us. We would all have eaten the forbidden fruit if given the chance. Whether or not you want to admit it, you probably feast on a lot of forbidden fruit every day. You may be a forbidden fruit glutton and not even realize it.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with "The Spot" itself. Skating, having a secret place to hang out, and being with friends can all be good things. God wants us to enjoy the outdoors, sports, friends and the process of becoming adults. What is wrong are the things that could go on there and the rebellous nature it encourages. "The Spot" type places become trouble in our lives when we exclude God from them or think that He does not see what we do when we are there. A healthy fear of the Lord will help us learn how to enjoy the good things in life while avoiding being polluted by envy, lust or ungodly fear.
