Doctrines of Compassion by Douglas C. MacLeod Jr.

Un:stuck:
Helping Teens and Young Adults
Flourish in the Age of Anxiety
By Kate O’Brien
Sheldon Press, 2024 
$19.99   224 pp.

Many of us are stuck, and not in the physical sense. Fear, anxiety, depression, anger, and sadness take their toll on our collective minds, hearts, and souls. Day in and day out, we are exposed to acts of war, murder, and mayhem. Having continuous access to social media platforms and being saturated with violent imagery, we hardly have any opportunity to step away from the barrage of mass-mediated vitriol. Even if we have that opportunity, we recognize that it does not mean the problems we face will disappear. They will still exist, even if we avert our eyes, power down our computers, and shut off our phones.

So, what are we to do? How do we get unstuck? And, more importantly, how do we educate and assist our youth to get unstuck, since they are more susceptible to embracing and internalizing negative influences?

Kate O’Brien’s anthology Un:stuck: Helping Teens and Young Adults Flourish in the Age of Anxiety is meant to be a step in the right direction, one that leads to a clearer path toward religious and spiritual openness: “Through these pages we welcome in a world that advocates a life of greater thriving, health and belonging,” she writes, “one that can help us all, young and old, renew our relationship with one another, with the Earth and with life itself.”

Un:stuck is not technically a Catholic or Christian text; however, many of the essays are reminders that whatever religion a person adheres to, they should lean into their faith to ensure their own happiness and peace. As Proverbs 3:5-6 states: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Even if one does not subscribe to an organized religion, O’Brien’s work still can be of great value. It is intended for anyone trying to connect with something tangible, real, and positive. In many ways, O’Brien’s subject is critical thinking, mindful listening, and deep connection with oneself; on a more spiritual level, it is about embracing the understanding that one can be saved, because indifferent, passive, dangerous behaviors are autonomous choices. As O’Brien states, “We need to know that we matter.”

And our children matter. As Hebrews 12:11 suggests, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” After O’Brien provides solutions to these complex problems of adolescence, readers are given commentaries, stories, essays, research, and “life-hacks” from a variety of experts in childhood development. Loneliness, inattention, drug and social media addiction, and negative emotional behaviors are all discussed at great length by the likes of Mac Macartney, Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, and Dr. Judy Blaine. The advice and resolutions provided by the contributors are meant to ease children back to a certain place of easiness and innocence, which can include (but is not limited to) spiritual wellness.

Un:Stuck is successful as a guide, not only to help parents and children become physically, mentally, and spiritually healthier family members, friends, neighbors, and citizens, but also to flourish as adherents to what could be considered a “doctrine of compassion,” whether it be viewed in religious or secular terms. As O’Brien says in her final chapter, where she speaks about our desperate need for a moral compass to provide us with a sense of direction: “Our children are watching our behaviour, so let us always remind them of a better way to be.” ♦

Dr. Douglas C. MacLeod Jr. is an associate professor of composition and communication at SUNY Cobleskill. He has written multiple book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and book reviews throughout his almost 20-year career as an academic and teacher. Recently, he has had essays published in Childhood and Innocence in American Culture: Heartaches and Nightmares (Lexington Books); Holocaust vs. Popular Culture: Interrogating Incompatibility and Universalization (Routledge); and Film as an Expression of Spirituality: The Arts and Faith Top 100 Films (Cambridge Scholars Publishing). He lives in Upstate New York with his wife, Patty.

Image: Greg Rosenke / Unsplash