Our task is to be obedient all our lives to the Will of God [which is Love] for the world. And therein lies the difference between being good for nothing and good for something. Between religion for show and religion for real. Between personal spirituality that dedicates itself to achieving private sanctification and prophetic spirituality, the other half of the Christian dispensation. Yes, the Christian ideal is personal goodness, of course, but personal goodness requires that we be more than pious, more than faithful to the system, more than mere card-carrying members of the Christian community. Christianity requires, as well, that we each be so much a prophetic presence that our corner of the world becomes a better place because we have been there. . . . The quality of life we create around us as “followers of Jesus” is meant to seed new life, new hope, new dynamism, the very essence of a new world community. (Joan Chittister, The Time Is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage - Convergent: 2019).
Perhaps one of the best benefits of having faith, even in those times when we don’t feel God’s presence, is that it gives us the confidence to continue to function well in life - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - despite our uncertainties. This is one of the biggest gifts that parents can nurture in their children - the ability to have faith even in times of doubt. We will all go through times of confusion. But the worst thing we can do at such times is to withdraw our gifts and our talents from the world. For it is putting them to good use that we’re most likely to hear God’s footsteps and know that all is well. Parables -GPBS e-news 10.11.20