Nonetheless, even when travelling in mufti, and before my earphones are firmly inserted, a chatty traveller sometimes asks, “What do you do?” St Ignatius Loyola was very keen on the art of the spiritual conversation, and so am I, but not in the sky. Ignatius knew nothing about 17 hours in economy!
However, one of my most memorable plane conversations led to this book. I was flying from New York City to Los Angeles. As I settled into row 44, the very friendly young man next to me asked me what I did. I told him. He said he had been a Catholic. I noted his emphasis on the past tense, but said nothing. He wasn’t sure about anything to do with faith and spirituality. I told him I was a Jesuit, which led him to tell me he had recently read two books by a Jesuit priest; Where the Hell is God? and Why Bother Praying? “Do you know them?” he asked. “Yes, I know them very well – I wrote them.” He would not believe me until I showed him my card.
Thomas and I had a long and engaging conversation about the issues the books had raised, for him and for me. And though we were as discreet as we could be, some of our fellow passengers must have longed for an emergency landing because of the advanced theology seminar happening at the back of the plane. Tom, 30, was an Ivy League graduate. He was also a serious humanitarian, working for Habitat for Humanity during summer holidays. His wrestling with belief, theology, prayer and the problem of evil arose from personal experiences. He told me that as much as he found my earlier books accessible and helpful, they did not address a fundamental issue for him and most of his friends − the why of belief. “We just get worn down by the growing chorus of people who say ‘religion is all nuts and you can be a good person and make a difference in the world and not believe anything more than that’….and the Catholic Church has made it very easy to leave in recent years….I guess what I am struggling with is what are we actually doing on earth for Christ’s sake?” As soon as Tom said, “for Christ’s sake” he apologised, fearing he had offended me. Not at all. Everything that every baptised person does is meant to be “for Christ’s sake”.
I left that plane knowing I had a new book to write and a title already!
What are we doing on earth for Christ’s sake? offers gentle and respectful answers to the questions posed by secular culture, and especially by our detractors, whose voices are louder than ever. I want to answer some of the major concerns of some of our young people about faith, religion and the Church. I offer some hopeful ways forward in sobering times.
The first third of the book looks at the belief and unbelief debate:
The book’s second section is the fruit of a ‘Q&A’ with 30 young adults about their questions about religion, God, Church and belief. I was especially interested in those who had walked away from any belief in God or religion and the questions that saw them depart. So many were easily collated or refined into one question or a few themes.
My brief answers take seriously the dialogue each of these should invite. I hope this book will become a resource for those who want to respond to our critics, an invitation for greater conversation and an arguing partner for those who disagree with everything upon which Christians stand.
Finally, the book argues that the most eloquent argument in support of belief is not what we say, but what we do. Christian people I know have taught me that Christianity is not about pursuing happiness, but about being the most faithful, hopeful and loving person I can be. It never comes down to what we say, but to who we are and what we do.
Rev Dr Richard Leonard sj is an Australian Jesuit. What are we doing on earth for Christ’s sake? is available from www.albanbooks.com Aurora has a copy to give away. Send an envelope with your name and postal address to the editor before 7 May.