It must have been a very eventful week for the Roman Catholic faithful with the visit of the Pope. It is heartening to see the respect and space accorded to a Christian leader by our nation. Our society is always nervous about inter-religious harmony. As such, religious ideas or opinions are "whispered," and even then, only for the hearing of the faithful.
I hope that as our society matures, we will move away from this fear and instead, encourage religious ideas and sharing in our social space. Christianity and other religions have so much to contribute to our society. I have wished for a long time that our national newspapers will carry more in-depth articles by faith leaders.
As for us Christians, we will also need to go beyond the influence of pop culture and media. We need Scripture to shape our thinking. Good Christian books, courses, and seminars will help. For centuries upon centuries, belief in God and an open world system (as opposed to a closed material system) have influenced deep writing, education, and discourses. I am afraid that here in Singapore, most of us are raised in a culture which is secular in its philosophy: life and learning leaves God out.
It is no wonder that some Christians will eventually lose their faith. While the local church has a role to play in education, it can be an uphill task. The influence of culture is also powerful. Even if temporal or fadish in nature, it can make faith irrelevant. Those who are older who came to Christ and were raised on a certain diet of spiritual experiences and expectations may also wonder why the young do not find Christianity attractive.
That said, good education is not just about size or mass. Sometimes, a good book or good course can unlock a new direction and change one's life. The aim, however, is not to "make" Christianity attractive or relevant, but to encourage each other to go beyond the superficialities of our modern global city culture.
I don't have any clear answers to this, but any hope of a future generation with a robust and deep faith will need to address some of these needs. This is one reason why I am a consistent and firm believer in good Christian education. We will also need to trust that God by His Spirit will build up His Church. Let's cooperate with the Lord and help MPCC build up a deep resource of faith and encourage one to not just seek, but to seek first His Kingdom.
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