Citizen Columns

Citizen Columns >> Answer (November 25th, 2006)

Question

How do you minister to people who were once faithful but now are not so sure?

Answer

Not well enough. I'm ashamed to say that there are people who have quietly stopped coming to church and I just didn't follow up. I got caught in day-to-day busyness and they fell to the bottom of the to-do list. My parish is now re-organizing and getting everyone involved to prevent this scenario, but it happens and it's sad. Not everyone with doubts will be open to a visit or a conversation, but most are. But one also needs to find out why they are no longer as sure as they were before. Sometimes this is a genuine crisis of faith. Perhaps they haven't had a chance to talk about their questions seriously, or they were afraid of talking about it. Maybe they don't have the words they need to have this sort of conversation. Or they're afraid of being pushed into a corner. We need to share our own uncertainties, but also why we stay in the face of them. Or perhaps they drift away because competing demands keep them from an active spiritual life, and "as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature" (Luke 8:14).

Still others leave because they start behaving in ways that makes it hard to be confronted with God's presence and commandments. Or maybe they are unsure simply because they aren't seeing practical results. Where is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control that the Spirit is meant to bring (Gal 5:22)? Others may feel lonely and no one in the church notices. For them it's not so much a crisis of faith as a crisis of love. If people sense this love, they may well live with the faith community despite their uncertainties. I've seen this happen, for "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).

Father John Jillions