“L OVE" is issue number one for young people, according to those who spoke to Streetpaper.

Relationships just pipped "happiness" to the number one spot. And many young people link the two together.

Love-struck John and Hayley, 16 and 17, certainly think relationships are where it’s at (they can’t take their eyes off each other). But so does deep thinker Tim, 17, who says he wants to be "strong for people". And lonesome Jon, 18 – like many teenagers everywhere? – is praying for "Someone" to arrive in his life.

But who’s the "Someone"? Jon may be imagining a brunette, someone with pretty eyes.

But angry Jenni, 16, talked about God – though she’s mad with her Maker. She wants to know why God doesn’t "get more directly involved". Dischuffed Sam, 19, shared her gripe: "Why doesn’t God show Himself, make Himself visible?" And countless youngsters wanted to know "why good people suffer".

Not many young people had made the connection between the God they felt was far off and Jesus.

But Christians believe that Jesus is "God’s human face", "God in human skin" – come down to love the human race.

Puzzled Catherine, 16, wonders about the symbol of the Christian faith, the cross. "Why would Jesus want to be reminded of His death all the time, anyway?"

The cross Jesus died on, according to the Bible, is where Jesus took all the results of human selfishness. He soaked it all up and took it away into death. He came back from death – resurrected – without it all.

This gives us all a chance to get into the greatest love relationship of all: with the God who made us. And died for us.

What are you waiting for? Give love a chance.

After all, as philosophical Tim puts it "The future looks bleak." But he adds a note of hope: "Jesus is sound. He sorts you out."

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