Worth it

A time of retreat is always a moment of grace: a time when human beings step aside from the normal routine of life, which at times can be downright frantic, and focus on listening to the voice of God. Granted, we should always be attuned to the voice of God which speaks to us, trying to guide us through this life and to prepare us for the next life, but human beings are fickle at times. We get caught up in all sorts of other stuff, so we need to purposefully turn aside and listen for this voice that still calls to us.

Listening in this sense is never done in vain because the voice of God is always speaking, always calling to us and always ready to welcome us back into the fold. Sometimes, it takes moments like these though for us to remember that even though human beings have probably always been finding excuses to fill up our time with activities other than prayer and listening, fervour for Christianity has ebbed and flowed in varying intensities throughout history, depending on a number of factors.

It's somewhat of a proven fact that Christianity has the curious attribute of drawing more adherents when it's challenged. Throughout it's history, it's consistently been more appealing to the human heart when there are hardships than it is when times are easy. In short, the price that must be paid for faith has to be worth the work entailed, and it has to be perceived as such.

Similarly, giving thanks for faith is easier when faith has to be fought for than it is in times when matters of faith are handed to us on silver platters. In an epoch when life seems to be relatively easy for so many, is it any wonder that many people are turning away from faith and choosing rather to invest their energies in other places?

Is the price that must be paid for our faith worth the effort? Do the potential benefits outweigh the cost that must be invested? If so, we'll never have to worry about how many souls will be flocking to our doors. If not, there's not much that any amount of human reasoning will do to change it.