The discussion turned to the recent kids Vacation Bible Study classes. I commented on all the space ships and outer space drawings I saw throughout the rooms and hallways of the church. “I’m sure it’s important to keep young minds attentive by stories and games, but surveys now show that most kids decide by the age 13 that church is a waste of time, and drop out as soon as they can (which is doubly easy if their parents don’t take them there). “What’s in it for me” is their mentality, and they don’t see anything of interest. I wish the kid’s Bible Study week was more about teaching the Bible and a relationship with Jesus, and less about fun games. They grow disinterested in simple games.”
Fortunately, one of the men, a father, had been part of the kid’s week. He assured me that the parish used a recognized Catholic program which was heavily focused on teaching the faith, and any games were there to help teach. He then gave witness to a few examples of how he personally had seen a lack of virtue among some kids, and lovingly taught them how to love. I felt a lot better that we were trying to do the right thing for our kids, but I still had doubts if it was enough.
“In my latter years of working, before retiring, I noticed that young employees seemed to contribute less to the company, and to expect more,” I said. I recalled an annual performance review where I gave a young man an average rating. He was shocked, and at the same time asked when he would get a promotion. “Didn’t I do everything you told me to do?” he asked. I explained how employees are meant to be assets of the company, contributing new ideas, and finding better ways of doing things, and developing new products. He didn’t understand. “If you wanted me to do more, why didn’t you tell me what to do?” He had never been taught to think critically, to analyze, to grow. “Robots do what I tell them,” I said. He never really understood. I think of him as somewhat typical of many younger people today.
But then one of the men in our little group jumped. “I think the Holy Spirit just showed me how that is the problem with our young people’s faith today. They are meant to grow in holiness, in faith, and in a closer relationship with Jesus all their lives, but most haven’t been taught that. They don’t know that they are supposed to grow in faith, to become more like Jesus, until they join Him in eternity. They learn rules and to go to church on Sunday, and they do those things (or whatever the priest tells them). But, at some point the culture causes them to ask: “What’s in it for me?” And, having been taught nothing but rules in the church, rather than the rewards of growing in faith and relationship with God, they don’t see anything there for them, and soon becomes “Nones”.
The culture teaches kids that “your life is about being happy.” You have “a right” to be happy. And you --- they are told at a very young age --- are wise enough to decide. The Christian faith is, however, very clear: You are to grow in love of God and neighbor, all your life. Your life is not totally about what you want, what makes you happy. There is work to be done to get both temporal and eternal rewards. Jesus showed us our lives have a purpose, a reason for which we were born. He opened the door and showed us how to get to heaven by achieving that purpose. But, like a good meal, you don’t just throw the ingredients into a bowl and start eating. There is work to do. It seems most of our kids have never learned how to work and grow in faith, to continually grow in holiness all their lives. They don’t see the rewards of a growth in faith, now and eternal. So, they drop out of any organized religion.
The culture has changed; the teaching of our young needs to change.
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