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cloth. This focus on the clothes is not merely a report of an
event, but is also an indication of the significance of the event.
In a Jewish context nakedness would be regarded as a shameful
state. Mark is implying that the young man, eager to follow Jesus
after others failed him, also falls into shame. His leaving behind
his clothes is stressed by the explicit reference to his nakedness.
It is to say that the young man was willing to forgo his reputation
in order to save his life from danger.

Impulsivity

This incident reflects the nature of the youth who
are impulsive in nature. Impulsive behaviour is a pattern of
behaviour where there is a strong desire to act quickly without
thinking about consequences. Generally, youth are quick to react
or adopt without thinking about the consequences! This young
man followed Jesus with curiosity, more than commitment.
Commentators say that probably this young man who, being in
his bed, and hearing the noise of the multitude going by his house
with swords and staves, got up, slipped on his night garment,
and followed them, to see what the matter was. “Teenage brain
is highly impulsive in the face of threat," says Jon Horvitz, a
neurobiologist at the City College of New York. Young people
find it difficult to keep their cool in social situations. Many
crimes committed during adolescence involve emotionally
fraught social situations, such as conflict. They can be aggressive
and destructive as well. In recent past we have witnessed that
the perpetrators of violence were the indoctrinated youth. This
young man, who impulsively followed Jesus, ran naked to save
himself, represents many youth who are quick to judge or react
without giving a thought to repercussions.

Desertion

The narrative also gives a vivid indication to another
problem called desertion, the abandonment. It is leaving a family

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Lenten Meditations Re - Imaging People