Many people give up on religion when what they really need to do is change their image of God and how they relate to him. Too many people, when they grow older, give up on the God they learned about as children. What they really need to do is think about God in a more mature way.
This can be a crisis of faith for many people, especially young people who can no longer relate to the God they learned about as children. Too often, priests will tell them that this is a temptation. They are told to have greater faith. Hold on to their God and don’t let go.
In truth, when someone is undergoing a crisis of faith, they may need to leave their old image of God for a new one. We need to change our understanding of God as we mature, just as we need to change our understanding of our parents as we mature.
My own simplified vision of spiritual development has three stages: turning away from sin, the practice of virtue and being embraced by God’s love. These stages are not airtight compartments but more a matter of emphasis. All our lives involve turning away from sin and practicing virtue, but the emphasis will be different as we mature.
To continue reading this article, click here.
Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese’s column for Religion News Service, “Signs of the Times,” appears regularly at National Catholic Reporter. Reese was senior analyst for the NCR from March 2013 to June 2017. He is based in Washington, D.C.
With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) and Fr Thomas Reese SJ, where this article originally appeared.
