Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Modeling Faith Formation

*NOTE WORKING DOCUMENT*

I know, a sensitive topic, But I figured, if we are to understand and go out and offer the new evangelization to people, we need to also speak their language.
Not sure why this all came to me but here it goes.

We start with the definition of success.
Most say it has to do with money, but let us expand that out further.
I believe we can identify three factors that indicate success in a materialistic and non materialistic way. They are:
1.Accomplishment
2.Belonging
3.Happiness

Once these three things are identified, we can start to apply some conditions that influence each of these.

Now we apply techniques and studies based on social emotional intelligence. This usually is applied to educational programs in schools, but can apply to adult learning and in fact any learning. This includes Faith formation since it is a form of learning to trust, grow in faith, etc...

Social Emotional Intelligence has several conditions and criteria that make it effective more in one case or the other. The main things that S-E demonstrates is a higher aptitude to learning with a more supportive and safe environment. This environment can be as small as a classroom or as large as a country.

This allows us to work on the needs of the learner both at an emotional-social level and at a mental/pedagogy level.So they can be nurtured in order to achieve better results.

When we apply this to a country situation in order to understand faith formation, we see very similar effects in community life, family life and faith life.

In most 1st world western countries, the definition of success is often skewed and twisted to that of a material desire. The three factors are only 2/3 fulfilled. The person has accomplished something by increasing wealth, has a feeling of belonging to another level in the social hierarchy, but fails to maintain a happiness that is eternal, since the material objects and desires can only provide an instant gratification and pleasure, and seeking more doesn't mean long lasting, in fact can result in loss of happiness as one becomes bored with the feeling of instant happiness.

In most developing countries we see accomplishments of smaller scale, mostly of a survival nature, a belonging to a family, a nuclear trustworthy and safe environment, and happiness in the small blessings they receive. I am sure there are sceptics out there, but be my guest and explain to me why we see rather happy poor people and the only thing they have in their suffering is faith and family?

In the western world case, we find more cases of depression, suicides, agnostic and atheist behaviors (caused from replacing God with material idols. What could cause such a thing? I think this is a direct confirmation that the family is an important unit of society, it is the functional and needed unit in order for success. Faith is also a needed item, because success cannot be achieved if there is no eternal happiness available or achievable. We find many church goers strictly there for Sunday service, but the warmth is not there to form a strong supportive, and safe community. (safety from the devil and the temptations of sin). Because the western world focuses on Independence and everyone being the leader of the pack, the more western society takes apart the family unit. Add concepts of population control, hedonistic urges for self pleasure and self service, and once can easily see the demise of such a culture.

The poor on the other hand are lacking in material wealth, but strong in family, community and faith. The potential level of success per each member of such a culture is much higher than that of the western culture, as long as they are able to be challenged. There must be a balance in our growth and formation; our learning as it would be.




In the diagram, This is a similar concept to the wheel diagram of God to the world, demonstrating the need for God (the Hub) to power the individual through growth formation (spokes) in order to succeed in the outside world (the wheel).
But each spoke represents instead a triangle growth model. The very tip starts with self, and as one grows, they should be growing outward towards selflessness through service to the world. The four spokes are:

1. Faith Formation
2. Secular Standards Formation
3. Personal Formation
4. Sexuality Formation

When one of these are unbalanced, we lose potential for success as defined above.

If we are too focused on secular standards for instance (material wants) then we start to take away from our faith, personal and sexuality growth.

If too little, the same thing happens but the individuals ability to grow equally amongst the spokes is hindered. Usually a person will find another area to fill in gap and vice versa.

If Faith is strong, but no understanding (learning) of Secular society/personal/sexuality - once may not blend well in society and be less capable to evangelize beyond the inner circle this person has created.

If Personal formation is too strong, then too much is focused on self instead of others, potentially loosing faith, or understanding of one's true self.

If Sexuality is too little, one may seek the selfish pleasures instead of the true understanding of our sexuality as a part of our being. If too strong, one may lose potential to evangelize outside their inner circle as well.

I think the overall pattern is this,
If too high, then the capacity of outreach is less,
If too low, another area is gaining and capacity of outreach is less.

I suppose it best to describe the capacity of outreach as a function of serving others in a servant leadership manner.

Being unbalanced in one area or another I don't think can be described as a bad thing, but just less potential to live a balanced full life. We can look at examples of saints that were cloistered and yet lived fulfilling lives.
I believe this model can help individuals in determining areas of their lives they can work on to balance better and be able to more easily become more selfless.