There has been one theme that has resonated with our students this year: You won't survive adulthood on a Sunday school faith. We all need to grow into an adult faith.
What is an adult faith? First, it's not sentimental. I remember growing up with the daily newspaper cartoon entitled, "Happiness Is..." The first correct answer, according to the author is "a warm puppy." an adult faith has moved beyond such nursery rhyme versions of reality. The world is a harsh place because of sin. There is a lot of pain and disillusionment out there because of our rebellion against God. And we have an enemy who wants to hurt God by destroying our lives.
The answer to these realities is not a faery tale. It is a God who loves us so much that he has risked everything to bring us the forgiveness necessary to reunite us with himself. He has made it possible for us to know himself through the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he has empowered us to work with him as he heals the harm that our rebellion has caused.
A sentimental and childish faith is selfish. We may sing, "It's all for you," but our emphasis on personal salvation often communicates "it's all for me." We have found that students today, especially those who have grown up in the faith, have a hard time grasping the idea that Jesus asks us to die to ourselves and live for him. Too often they have heard that Jesus is there to make their dreams come true rather than the truth that Jesus asks us to work with him to make his dreams for humanity come true.
One student complained, "I just want to feel good. I don't want to think about the problems out there." Ironically, peace and joy are never achieved until we are involved with Jesus work out there. Those moments when I know that I am following God, responding to his Spirit, and serving real people with the power and love of God have been some of the happiest moments of my life. I don't believe you feel good without being involved in God's mission. A childish and sentimental faith does not bring happiness.
An adult faith is also informed. Theology is important. Not just for the sake of having knowledge, but theology replaces our warped view of life and reality with the truth of God. Morality is important, but it is not enough. We must see and understand the world differently. We live what we believe, and we believe what we know. Faith must be informed.
An adult faith is moral. Our decisions have real consequences, and an adult can't hide behind a parent or a guardian. An adult must understand that he or she now has responsibility. Morality is more than just a set of rules. It begins with a set of values. What is love? What does it mean to respect another person? Ideals such as, a person must never been treated as a means to my personal need, must be understood and applied.
An adult faith sacrifices for a better end. Children are all about instant gratification. An adult learns to invest in the better things of life. We must present these greater things to our students and teach them their value. I could eat bacon forever. It's cheap, I like the way it tastes, and it's easy to prepare. And while I still retain the taste for an occasional bit of bacon, my life would be a little smaller if I'd never been introduced to curry in all its intricacy and complexity. I could have stuck with comic books, but Shakespeare has enriched my life in so many ways. As Christians we reach for meatier things. Others may pretend to be content with the banalities of this world, but an adult faith wants to move from glory to glory. Without a serious investment, it will never happen. A childish faith gazes at it's own navel. An adult faith touches the face of God.
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