No Compromising Our Faith
One of my acquaintances from high school recently wrote me that she noticed that people she knew have changed or are changing. I received this observation with understanding but also with sadness. Her observation was not a new discovery – in fact, this is the experience of many of us. As we get older, we change. And since we are not alone – even though some of us do live alone, we continually interact with many people: family members, coworkers, neighbors, etc. These people obviously have an impact on our behavior and the way we think since the people with whom we spend most of our time with deeply affect and influence us.
Why does her statement sadden me? Because I got the impression that other people with whom she has associated with were influencing her negatively, and she seemingly compromised her deeply held values.
Does our life have to go this way? Do we really have to compromise our values which we believed in when we were younger? Not at all. As Christians, we are invited to something completely different. We are invited to continuous growth in our faith, hope and love in every stage of our life — when we are young, adult or old. We are called to practice our Christian faith not in some perfect social and family environment but among the people who are given to us, with whom we live, work and pray. Some of their actions are good, some are not. Interactions with them increase our understanding of the world, its people’s problems and joys. This world is the only one we live in; there will be no other world. This world constitutes an important element of us now and in our future life as well. The crucial question is: should we absorb and make our own life something from this world that clearly contradicts our Christian beliefs? Of course, we are not without sins, and we also experience low points in our life. This is an experience for all the daughters and sons of Adam. However, as Christians we understand that our sinfulness is not a norm but a straying from the good path that we are on. Our sinfulness is not our normal course of action, it is rather an unfortunate misstep. Our sinfulness does not change us as such, does not penetrate our bones. It is like dirt that we must wash off as soon as possible.
St. Paul speaks directly about this: “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12: 2). Yes, living in this world, we are continually called to discern what is really good and not to comply with the ideas offered by this world. I remember the line from the beautiful song that was very well known during my high school and college years: “Remember that I haven’t changed. I think what I thought and believe in what I believed.” The noble way of thinking, sincerity, longing for justice, etc., that were present in our younger years should still be present in our adult life and continually invigorate this life. Moreover, these noble things that we internalized in our young years or later, can be perceived as even more beautiful and attractive. Of course, as we are maturing, any elements of excessive idealism and naiveté should give way to mature attitude.
For us Christians, there is no need to make a compromise at the expense of the truth. As mature adults, we can better understand other people, but this understanding doesn’t imply automatic support for their convictions and actions. In this way, we should be faithful to the idealism that started to germinate in our youth and, at the same time, be realistic about this world.
I urge you to continually nurture the good instilled in us in our youth as a basis to develop virtues of faith, hope and love and resist the evil of the world.
Fr. Mark Jurzyk