Of course, there is a catch. McDonald's efforts to tap into the brain are simply the desire to sell burgers. But when we in the Church do the same thing, what are we really selling to teens? Are we really helping them to develop a connection with the mission of the Church, or are we simply adding to their cultural dependence on unhealthy food and frivolous distraction? Are we manipulating their brains in a way that ultimately distracts from our real goal of engaging teens in a meaningful faith?
I wonder if this might be why we continue to see so many teens leave the Church once they graduate high school. We've fed them a diet of fast food and entertainment and even though their brains crave it, eventually they realize it just doesn't satisfy. They walk away thinking, "I know I'm supposed to like all of this, but lately it just doesn't sit right in my stomach." And off they go—seeking a more meaningful spiritual experience elsewhere.
But why not use all this knowledge of the brain in a different way? Why not brand our youth ministries in such a way that teens see them clearly as places where we speak against injustice, welcome all, serve the needy, and center ourselves in love? Why not stimulate the brain's desire for novelty by confronting teens with Jesus' upside down view of the world where all are cared for and there are no outsiders? Why not challenge the teen brain's desire to be satiated with fat and sugar by offering a different lifestyle—one centered in seeing what is really important in life and how sometimes doing without the things we crave might open the possibility of others having what they need to live.
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