We've all heard that before, we've all probably said it before, and I'd be shocked to find that anyone but Jesus and Our Lady didn't think it from time to time. This spirit of "fairness" really begins to flourish in the teen years. It is at this point that we human beings start to look outside of ourselves. Yep, you heard me right... teens are looking outside of themselves... just think about it. When do we first fall in love? When do we start to have a keen sense of justice? As a small child we are practically all ego (MINE!!!), but at a certain point this ego starts to seek completion outside of itself... It's a beautiful reality, really, but it takes patience, prayer, and perseverance to lead young souls in the right direction.
As teenagers the old cliche "misery loves company" begins to find a place in our mentality. Why? Because our natural search for affirmation begins to go beyond the tender love of mom and dad, and begins to search for "home" in this great big world. The sense of justice is unformed and unrefined, but very importantly begins to take root in the young soul. Hence, the question that was recently asked:
Teen: "If God forgives everything, why not just do a bunch of bad stuff my whole life and then say sorry at the end?"
Answer: "One, if you build a wall between you and God your whole life, and walk away from Him - farther and farther and farther - chances are that at the end of your life you may not be able to turn to Him, why chance it? But, mostly importantly, because life is not about heaven and hell, good and bad, right and wrong. One is where we end up, one is how we choose, and one is what we call our choices. God wants us to be happy, and you will only be happy - totally happy - following Jesus. Everytime you've ever been happy in this life, it is because of Him. It is the only way to love, find peace, and know who you are..."
Jesus is all merciful, and even the worst sinner has a chance to repent and turn to Him in the last hours. This just isn't "fair". We tell the youth in one breath that God will forgive everything, He loves you intensely, you are worth more than the universe, and in the next breath that they have to obey, go to Church, be pure.
There is a demand, then, to begin to move beyond servile fear - of punishment, of hell, of "letting God down" - and into the realm of real piety. Here, we obey, go to Church, and are pure because we want to love God and we want to be happy. It is the moment when the faith becomes our own, a relationship begins to develop, and fragile, essential roots begin to extend into the heart.
If our young people grow up thinking that life is a test --- they are going to "fail". If they grow up thinking that God is anything less than their happiness --- they are always going to look for it elsewhere. If they grow up thinking that "fairness" is the same as Divine Justice and Mercy, where will they go when they fall?
Fall they will, and so will we, but with our eyes on heaven and our happiness in Him, we will always rise a little closer to the Sacred and Beautiful Heart of God.
Be patient with the young people. Be patient with yourselves.
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