A recently published census reveals that ‘the number of British-born Christians is falling steeply while a youthful Muslim population is on the rise.’ Some could argue that such a difference is a result of immigration; of course it’s true to a certain extent, but not exclusively so with regard to Islam; many Catholic parishes in the UK still exist thanks to the faithful of foreign origin. Another interesting factor is that the number of white British converts to Islam is on the rise. Avoiding any political agenda and any confrontational approach, it’s worthwhile considering why Christianity across all denominations is in decline, while Islam seems to head in the opposite direction.
I think one of the problems is the institutionalisation of the Christian faith, with quite a strong accent on fulfilling our religious duties understood as communal experience. Some aspects of Christian moral teachings are written into the civil law, or there are demands to do so. Unintentionally and subconsciously this replaces our personal responsibility to make right choices. Other problems include the presentation of too strict moral teaching as a soulless, inhumane set of rules to follow, or of a too relaxed approach where any sinful attitude is accepted or even praised in order to attract the modern world; unfortunately both ways have spectacularly failed. Let’s be honest, these problems are not unique to Christian churches; they are quite similar to Islam in countries where it’s a dominant religion.
Today’s first reading shows an impressive scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Seemingly this presents how powerful the Church was at its beginning. But it’s a bit of a misleading perception. Let’s look at the context of that event. First of all, the Apostles and other disciples of Jesus were worryingly focused on themselves, on their gains and their positions of power in the forthcoming kingdom; at the same time, particularly after the crucifixion, they were so terrified of the outside world that they stayed in a locked room. Later on, when the Christian community popped among the pagans, Jewish traditionalists demanded that they follow the rules inherited from Judaism, while St Paul opposed that fiercely. It actually looks like a description of our modern Christianity. But despite all those problems and controversies the new faith was attracting more and more followers. At the end of the first century Christian communities were found across the entire Roman Empire, and beyond.
The secret behind that dramatic spread of Christianity was an individual, personal approach. Big stories, like Pentecost, followed by the conversion of three thousand people looked well in storytelling and books, but they actually didn’t cause that massive popularity of Christianity. Single individuals, who had found that faith appealing to their needs and desires, followed Jesus’ teaching as their personal choice, not out of duty or fear of punishment. They shared their own religious experience with others, without pressure to accept it, but happy to accompany on the way of faith those who showed some interest. And, as the first reading states: ‘they were preaching about the marvels of God’, the marvels they had experienced in their own lives. This Sunday of Pentecost might be just another ritual done out of duty. But hopefully it will open up our minds and hearts, and kindle the desire to share with others the marvels of God that have happened in our lives.