Risk

Faith in early adulthood:
The art of risk and revision

Of all the various times of crisis in the process of faith the definitive time between the ages eighteen and twenty-five. This has been called "age of conversion." The latin verb vertere, from which our word conversion is derived, means to "turn to," and the question is: Will this young adult turn from himself and his own egotistical concerns to others and to God? The capacity of a young adult to encouter God will, of course, depend heavily on his maturation as a human being. If he remains deeply immersed in himself and barricaded by his masks and facades of self-protection, true encounter with God or, in fact, with anyone will be very unlikely.

To lay one's self on the line rather than put one's act on the stage, to trust the acceptance and love of another, is to run the risk of ridicule or rejection. To listen to another openly, with is vital to both the human and divine encounters, is to run the risk of letting another change us. We are reluctant to let anyone else unknot our prejudices, or revise our delicately balanced personality structures. We resist the surrender required in true relationships, because intimacy and openness threaten us.

From "A Reason To Live, A Reason To Die! (A new look at faith in God)" Powell, John S.J.