“As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.”
Anyone who believes that maturity is equivalent to chronological age is missing the point. Yes, age may have something to do with it, but there is much more involved. This week with the children of Good Samaritan Community Services has taught me a thing or two about maturity. If maturity is the ability to discern the voice of God, listen to it, and do what it says, then I have been surrounded this week by a number of mature Christians who happen to inhabit very young bodies.
One boy in particular stands out. At the age of twelve, he is already discerning a possible vocation to the Priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. As he talks, it becomes apparent that this is no pipe dream. He really means it, and he is dead serious about discerning whether this is God’s will for his life. Without losing any of the charm, playfulness, and innocence of pre-adolescence, he has a piercing eye firmly fixed on God, and he never shifts his gaze. He asks penetrating questions and is deeply curious about all kinds of church matters, such as the meaning of Scripture and the practice of sacramental worship. It was a spectacular joy to join him in this journey, even if for just a few short hours.
He’s not the only one, either. Today in particular, the other Priest in residence and I were approached repeatedly by campers, mostly young men, curious about all sorts of spiritual matters. And their interest was by no means purely academic. With the directness and innocence of children, they asked us the hard questions about Jesus and the devil, angels and demons. They wanted to know what it all means for them and those they love on a very personal level. Above all, they wanted to know how it is that they are loved and safe in this seemingly wild and dangerous world, and they wanted answers with depth and meaning, not something simplistic.
Like Samuel and Jeremiah, the youngsters we encountered today are seen, both in their own eyes and those of the world, as far too young and immature to have much to offer, but they are not. The Lord is with them, putting thoughts in their heads, words in their mouths, and the Holy Spirit in their hearts. They have much to give already, and surely there are even greater things to come. I pray that their experience here at Camp Capers has served to fan the flames of the godly fire than burns within them.
-Andy Lobban
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