7 Ways God has Equipped Us to Live in the World (and How They Ended up in a Fantasy Novel)

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a cradle Catholic or a convert. None of us is immune to straying. I know this more than most. I converted over twenty years ago, but I spent six of those early years without the sacraments. They were dark times, and I myself didn’t know how I ended up there.

Yet, even in the darkness, I began to see how God has equipped us to live in the world (without belonging to the world), and that was when I began writing Wellspring, a high fantasy with a Catholic soul. Thirteen years have passed, during which I have witnessed the soul-destroying ravages of modern culture, and I want to share with you what hit home most amid my heartbreak.

1. God constantly offers us new life.

Turning around doesn’t mean going backwards or regressing. Often the way forward is behind us. Anything can be forgiven except impenitence. God renews our lives incessantly and infinitely if we let Him. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

2. God gives us the grace to transcend a mundane life.

Through the example of the Ascension, Assumption, and the Transfiguration… and through the daily miracle of the Mass, we have access to another world in which there is no sorrow, a world that makes sense of our suffering. The Church is holy.

3. Our very lives are vocations.

It doesn’t matter how many career changes we have, our vocation remains steady. What each person offers to God each day is a tiny part of a magnificent paean to our Creator. Nothing we do is below God’s notice, and the less we analyse our roles and stations in life the more joy we find in them.

4. Unity among believers gives us fortitude to weather hard times.

Friendship in Christ survives all sorts of awkwardness and difficulties. The support of those who share our faith gives us courage to stand firm when it seems the whole world is pitted against us. There is strength in numbers, and the greatest challenges can be met when we remain united despite our differences. The Church is universal.

5. The tradition of the Church helps us cultivate virtue and avoid vice.

The temptations of modern culture are much easier to resist when we know and trust Church teaching, practice Catholic devotions, and surround ourselves with goodness. The books and articles we read and the films and television we watch are an indication of what is important to us. If we read and watch rubbish, our inner lives reflect that.

6. We have an in-built desire to be happy.

The Church is not a tyrant and she gives us rules for living that help us to be happy. We all want to be happy, and we have the freedom to choose how to pursue that happiness, but we are happiest when we choose to do right and good. Aside from these extremely helpful guidelines, the world is our oyster. We are encouraged to dream, and live a life of hope and wonder.

7. Love.

Love puts things in God’s perspective. In a world where so little makes sense, love is an antidote to selfishness and depression. When we love, the differences between us do not push us apart, and no one is exempt from the respect due to each and every person. With love, life is beautiful in spite of inevitable hardship and suffering. Without love, there is no meaning.

I think most Catholics know these things, but there’s a difference between knowledge and understanding, and trusting in this knowledge is another step further. Some things have to be learnt with the heart, and this is where modern Catholic culture has failed to ignite our passion.

Being Catholic has to capture our imaginations and be part of our daydreams. It is no wonder that so many of us identify as “pro-lifers” or “social justice warriors” before we proclaim we are Catholic. How many Catholics do you know who will proudly display a badge for some worthy cause but not wear a crucifix around their necks? “The things we love tell us what we are.”

Wellspring is my contribution to what I hope will be a renaissance of Catholic culture, a revival of tradition that is vibrant, stout-hearted, and stimulating. It isn’t enough to have filters on the internet or avoid dens of vice. We must create a Catholic sub-society that resounds with the glory of Catholic enlightenment.

Wellspring is available on Amazon.