When a child is born, parents start dreaming. They are entranced by projections of their child growing up. They then try to educate him to a Christian life, but sometimes despite this, the child’s faith falters.
This can cause them much pain. Parents must remember, however, that they are his first teacher. They have to lead by example. What is imprinted in young minds and hearts are images of what they experienced in their families, long before they learned how to speak, read and write. Parents must make that they have planted the seeds of truth and faith in these young hearts, to guide them throughout their lives. Parents must believe that personal experience is also a good teacher so they should allow children to make their experiences and trust them to make the right choices.
Children need a venue to test and exercise their freedom to grow. This training ground is the world around them. This demands patience and a heart filled with hope, just as the Merciful Father did not bind his prodigal son to himself, but instead waited patiently by the door, trusting in his return. Moreover, he did not present him with a list of misdeeds. Instead, “while he (the son) was still far away, he saw him and had pity on him, he ran and fell on his knees and kissed him” (lk. 15, 20).
Are we strong enough to allow our children to have this similar liberating experience? Or perhaps unwittingly, have we presented them with the image of a God who is “dark,” and a religion made up of strict rules, rituals and ceremonies?
It’s really difficult today to offer our children bread as well as faith. The proclamation of the gospel to our own children is a challenge that can only be met by our own example and by trusting them. But we cannot do it alone. We need to do it together with other families and with our community “to foster integral education we need to revive the alliance between families and Christian communities” (Amoris Laetitia 279).
Only a warm and friendly community will fascinate the young, and also support families in generating their children to a life of fullness.
