Following Christ in the real world

This is a question most of us ponder at some point in our lives, when we manage to fit it in during the constant and ongoing pull of everyday life. Is the only way to do so through making a faith a vocation? There is no doubt that the monks, clerics and nuns of our faith have made a significant and humble impact on our world in the service to those around them.

Clearly, we know God is much more creative and all-encompassing than only this perspective of following Christ. The call to Christian activities is not necessarily a call to this type of full time occupation – it is more than our work; indeed, the divine calling is our workplace, family, home, friendships, acquaintances … and the list is the sum total of all who you are in contact with every moment of your day. The following quote helps remind us of our divine calling:

"God is interested in more than productivity and spirituality. He made the whole world, he is redeeming the whole world and he expects us to garden and reclaim the whole world for him. Part of cultivating the whole world is cultivating ourselves within it to become the best possible version of ourselves. And that means all that humanity can be included, including art, sport, and play of all legitimate kinds." (John Stackhouse, Making the Best of It).

What we do at Emmaus is to encourage our young people to realise their part in God’s work and world. We want them to have the courage to believe that God has a plan, a part just for them and that God does not make useless Christians. Everyone is called to the generic human task of contributing to shalom. God has called particular individuals in our particularity to work with him. Student Pathways are God’s pathways – we need to have the courage and faith to believe this, speak it and live it out daily for ourselves and our children. Finally, Stackhouse reminds us that:

"Everything. Everywhere. Every moment. That is the scope of God’s call on our lives. And that is the dignity our lives enjoy."

Andrea Grear

Head of Senior School