Encountering the Other, Part 4

Two brothers are grilling at a family get together and they start talking about their wives and children. One of the brother’s sons, the nephew of the other brother, is a devout Catholic listening to the conversation. In the course of the conversation, one of the brothers mentions that his wife and children are becoming more spiritual. He explains that they are experimenting with occult practices and that he has noticed a difference in them. The family unit is growing apart. He explains that while he does not personally like this transformation in his family, he is willing to let his family be who they want to be. At this point, the son/nephew enters the conversation and wants to talk about organized religion, that is, going to Church and living out one’s faith.

Brother 1/Uncle: “Yeah, I don’t know man, my kids are going through this weird phase.”

Brother 2/Father: “Really, what do you mean?”

Brother 1/Uncle: “I don’t know man. They are becoming spiritual.”

Brother 2/Father: “That sounds like a good thing. What is the problem?”

Brother 1/Uncle: “Recently, my kids have been getting into witchcraft and weird stuff. It is like Halloween all the time in our home. I don’t know what to do man. It creeps me out.”

Brother 2/Father: “I don’t know what to tell you man. I wish I could help you. Maybe you should talk to my son. He is very religious.”  

[Brother 2/Father is wise to bring in his son, sensing in humility that he is not the right person to help his brother but that his son can].  

(Son/Nephew comes over and is brought up to speed on the conversation.)

Brother 1/Uncle: “My family is growing really distant, and it seems like one bad thing after another keeps happening.”

Son/Nephew: “I am sorry. It sounds like it could be really serious.”

Brother 1/Uncle: “No, it is just a phase. My kids do weird stuff. I just need to put up with it and accept that this is the way it is.”

Son/Nephew: “Based on my personal experience, unless you deal with the problem, things can get worse.”

Brother 1/Uncle: “What am I supposed to do?”

Son/Nephew: “Do you still believe in God?”

Brother 1/Uncle: “Well, I am spiritual, but I would not call myself religious.”

Son/Nephew: “Couldn’t you say the same thing about your children: they are being spiritual but not religious?”

Brother 1/Uncle: “Yeah, but my children are not the right kind of spiritual right now.”

Son/Nephew: “Well, what is the right kind of spiritual?”

[The nephew wants his uncle to realize that being spiritual is not enough, but that it can actually be harmful to be spiritual without Jesus].

Brother 1/Uncle: “Well, being spiritual helps me be a good person.”

Son/Nephew: “Well, how do we know what is really good, and what is the criterion of good?”

[Here the nephew wants to establish Jesus Himself as the criterion of good and evil].

Brother 1/Uncle: “It is common sense.”

Son/Nephew: “I thought that I had good common sense, and I was a good person until I found Jesus and then I realized that He is the only one who teaches what is truly good for me and my family.”

Brother 1/Uncle: “I know about Jesus.”

Son/Nephew: “Oh, do you go to church?”

Brother/Uncle: “No, I do not need to go to Church. I don’t get anything out of Church, and the people there are just a bunch of hypocrites.”

Son/Nephew: “I am sorry you have experienced that. I agree, many of us Christians, myself included, fail to live our faith with love and truth and common sense. But the reason to go to Church is because Jesus promises that where two or more are gathered in His name, He is there in the midst of them. [1] Uncle, listen, my father started going to church years ago, and that is what encouraged me to take my faith more seriously. At first when I started going to church, I did not feel any different, but over time, the people at my church have helped me.”

Brother 1/Uncle: “Are you telling me that the only way to help my children is by going back to Church?”

Son/Nephew: “The best way to fight spiritual evil is with the most powerful spiritual good in the universe: Jesus Himself. How about you come to Church with me some time and then we go for breakfast?”

[The nephew is implicitly appealing to the spiritual authority of his uncle, which is rooted in Jesus Himself.]

Brother 1/Uncle: “I never thought I would take you up on that, but given what is happening in my family, I am definitely open to going to Church because I love my family and may be Jesus is the answer.”

[Sometimes people have to be desperate to come to Jesus].

[1] Matthew 18:20.