Citizen Columns
Citizen Columns >> Answer (September 17, 2009)
Question
How should children be taught religion?
Answer
It’s often said that Christianity is caught, not taught. This is as true of children as it is of adults. Nothing burns itself more deeply in good memories as stories told, examples seen, worship lived out with authenticity, devotion and comforting familiarity. When a story from the Bible or lives of the saints is told with interest and conviction children listen. Even adults who listen-in often get as much or more from simple stories as from more elaborate sermons. That’s been my repeated experience over many years.
Of course anything that families and churches can do to reinforce the reality of living faithfully as a disciple of Jesus Christ is important. Demonstrating forgiveness, patience, perseverance in difficulties, prayer and loving one’s enemies will make its mark on a child’s memory, even as their lives later twist and turn. But whatever our own adult sins, weaknesses and hypocrisy, we should take care that children associate all that is of God and of the Church with goodness, beauty and kindness.
Dostoevsky captured this perfectly in the Russian monk Zosima (The Brothers Karamazov) who urged pastors to simply recount the great stories of faith, with assurance that God can plant seeds of faith through the mysterious power of these words alone when they come from the heart. “Let him open that Book and begin reading it without grand words or superciliousness, without condescension, but gently and kindly, being glad that he is reading to them and that they are listening with attention, loving the words himself…Only a little tiny seed is needed - drop it into the heart and it won’t die, it will live in his soul all his life, it will be hidden in the midst of his darkness and sin, like a bright spot, like a great reminder. ”
With love in Christ,
Fr John
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