The ‘nones’ and ‘dones’ this Lent               

We are now deep into the Christian season of Lent. As Holy Week approaches, the Church’s call to be reunited with God and do penance rings ever louder. Here’s a relevant question, though: Who’s answering? But even more basic: Who’s listening? Certainly not the “nones” and “dones.” The former are those who say they’ve never affiliated with any religion, while the latter say they’re done with all religions. And they are on the rise. Recent foreign research tells us that Gen Z and millennials are leaving organized religion in droves. The phenomenon is true even in the Philippines. Sociologist Jayeel Cornelio points out that unlike before, young Filipinos now prefer “a different, more individualized approach to Catholicism,” often not in keeping with the official Church position. For the serious Christian, these data are important.

The Bible tells us that every Christian is called to a mission, to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations…” (Mt 28:19). Moreover, Pope Francis calls the youth “the now of the Church.” The challenge is how to talk to an audience that would rather not listen to a message they would rather not hear. Talking about faith is challenging enough, but Lenten faith with its connotation of penance and dying to oneself? Is this possible at all? Yes, but not through sermons, fiery exhortations, or even intense heart-to-heart conversations. Perhaps later, these may come in handy and may even be necessary. But almost surely, these are not the best starting points. Why? Too many words unnecessarily multiply the possibilities of corroborating a common complaint of “nones” and “dones,” which is the hypocrisy of Christians. Christians, their objection goes, not only do not practice what they preach but even do the opposite.

Ironically, we can learn something from this objection: The more enthusiastically we lead with talking, the more hypocritical we seem when we fail to live up to the Christian doctrine we so enthusiastically preach. True, our failures may not actually comprise hypocrisy, but tell that to Christianity’s critics. The disparity between the talk and the (lame) walk is hardly the best place to start our communication.

So, how about starting with a good example instead? Show the praxis first and explain the theory after. Is it God and our sinfulness we want to preach? Live a life of authentic humility. Listen more and speak less of yourself. Overlook other people’s idiosyncrasies. Choose to see the good in others. Don’t take insults personally. Is it the call to communion with God we want to teach? Live order in body and spirit. Tidy up your living spaces. Fix your closet. Live a schedule, and follow it. Spend time in personal prayer. Go to church. Sympathize with those in sorrow. Spread joy wherever you are. Is it penance we want to communicate? Stop gossiping. Return unkindness with kindness. Learn to deny yourself (or delay) some gratification: food, drink, social media, entertainment, etc. Let the big ego fast. Let not abstinence from meat on Fridays be a mere excuse to eat roasted salmon and shrimp or puttanesca pasta. Spend less on yourself, and give more to the collection bag. Be sober.

All of the above done for God and with love of God is Christian apostolate led with action. Absolutely no words? Not necessarily. But only after the action, and only as the Holy Spirit inspires. The power of the praxis-first communication approach is that, with constancy and consistency, the communicator is also transformed into the very message communicated by speech. By the end of Lent, the person who would speak of penance does so as one who is the very proof of its sublime beauty. One’s words thus ring truer.

Almost 60 years ago, the Canadian communication theorist, Marshall McLuhan, coined a phrase that’s now a classic tenet in communication: “The medium is the message.” As mediums of the Christian message who do as much justice as we can to the message of humanity’s need for penance, let’s apply the communication framework of first leading with action and embodying the message we preach. If we do so, even if we fall short, we can at the very least be sure that we have already taken a significant step toward not getting in the way of the “nones” and “dones” finally listening and, hopefully, eventually answering. First, the Holy Spirit who changes hearts. Then, the Church.

Robert Z. Cortes is assistant professor at the School of Communication of the University of Asia and the Pacific.