ATLANTA, GA—Local Youth Group leader Jason Zarcos misread Hebrews 5:7 during his morning prayers, mistaking “reverence” for “relevance.”
The 22-year-old lay minister was struck powerfully by how the passage spoke to him, despite completely misunderstanding its meaning.
“Wow, the Lord works man.” Zarcos said to his 72-year-old coworker Nancy. “He just showed me through His Word that if I want the youth to hear me preach the Gospel, I have to be as relevant as possible.”
Sources say that Zarcos further unconsciously interpreted the word he misread, assuming relevance meant adopting the same styles and expressions as the youth instead of tailoring his message to their circumstances and concerns.
“People haven’t been coming to youth group because I’m not hip enough,” Zarcos continued. “I need to get hip right away. Time to get back on Snapchat…maybe I should buy a fidget spinner. Kids still like those, right?”
At press time, Nancy told Zarcos he could borrow her fidget spinner until his arrived in the mail.
Originally published May 22, 2022
