Want to draw people to the faith? I’m a convert: Here’s what worked for me.
Two years ago, I became a Catholic at the age of 23 after studying theology at a Catholic University. As a young convert, I often find myself reflecting on my journey to the faith, so that I might be able to communicate the process to other young people who are searching for meaning in a world devoid of the sacred. In the light of these initial reflections, if I were to give any advice to Catholics who wish to help guide others effectively to Christ’s Church, I would say three things:
Understand what evangelization means and involves
When I first began my course in theology at university, I didn’t know anything about the Catholic faith. My lack of experience was obvious when, in one of the first classes of the year, my professor asked the class to list how many Synoptic Gospels there were in the New Testament. I, of course, did not even know at that point what he was talking about, but of course he called on me to answer his question.
“I don’t know.” I replied.
“Are you being serious, Charles?” the professor replied.
Feeling somewhat sheepish, I added that I was neither Christian nor Catholic and did not know what the word “Synoptic” meant. My professor then became tender with me, and rather than giving me looks of disbelief, invited me to email him with any questions about Catholicism I might have, and said that he would be happy to answer them for me. Throughout the year, I messaged him with my questions, receiving his replies which were always so detailed. I cannot help thinking that his generosity formed the basis for what I now consider the beginning of my spiritual education.
RELATED: Considering Conversion Through the Life of Edith Stein
I mention this experience here because it reveals a great lesson. Namely, that evangelization and the conversion process is not just about knowing what is right, but doing what is right. After my professor realized that I had not been exposed to any Catholic ideas before, he decided to share them with me. Evangelization is therefore the pursuit of truth in relationship with another person, and it only works if two people are committed to sincerely finding out the truth of Christ as it was intended: with love. My professor—if he so desired, along with the rest of my class—could have judged me for being at a Catholic university when I was not yet Catholic. Yet they did not make themselves out to be better than me. Rather, they invited me to share more about myself, which drew me to ask more questions about their lives in return. It made me realize that people do not want to be drowned in facts even if they are facts about the Christian truth. To quote the late poet Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Realize that the call to convert others is not a call to view them as an object to win over
Rather, conversion is an opportunity to get to know people better, to widen our knowledge and to deepen our understanding of what it is like for people who live without Christ. Given the current circumstances of our time, I believe Catholics feel more pressured to give their input or guidance to people, lest they fall out of interest with the faith. Or even worse: Catholics have begun to feel as if they failed to do their “job” of evangelizing if their interactions with people do not produce visible fruit. But God is not a boss who has given evangelization to us as a job to be performed, nor does he expect us to convert everyone in the first interaction we have with them. God is patient and works at his own pace, and everything that is planted by his hand flowers in the end.
LISTEN: A Conversation on Conversion With Dr. Scott Hahn
The reality of the conversion process is that it is slow, and we as Christians must understand that any input on our part must be given wisely and with patience. Therefore, when speaking to someone who is interested in learning more, one should know that not mentioning the faith within the first few interactions with them does not make one a bad Catholic. In my own life during college, my peers never forced their faith on me. I could not see it then, but these young Catholics who I saw every day for three years exercised a Godly wisdom, showing that they were interested in my life, and invested in matters beyond the state of my religious questioning. In short, they were there for me, and not only to see me become a Catholic, which is why I eventually decided to become one.
Living the faith will always be approved by some and disapproved by others
In other words, the best chance Catholics have of converting people is to live out the faith fully, rather than halfheartedly out of fear that full commitment might lead to disapproval. I recall my shock upon learning that many of my classmates had eight or more siblings. Before my conversion, I thought that was unthinkable and perhaps even unwise. However, the fact that they were unaffected by any opinion I possessed toward their families showed me that they were unbothered by the opinions of anyone outside of the Catholic fold. The simple exposure to Catholic ways of life made me curious to find out more about why Catholics live as they do. The large families, regular Mass attendance, feast days—all of these things led me to inquire about the intellectual side of Catholicism, without anyone suggesting that I should have done so. Lived testimonies are more powerful than any spoken word—and it is often the difference between Catholics and the world which make it all the more enticing for people who desire in their hearts to live a life dedicated to God. One should always remember that the Lord has called you to live out the Gospel without shame, and to be a lamp to the world which cannot happen if you hide the light under a bushel.