Originally published at crisis magazine
Our current age is described by some as a time of “higher consciousness.” This is a dubious descriptor when you consider how narrow-minded, intolerant, and incurious are the thought leaders of our day. While there are undeniably drawbacks to the way our culture views man, the moral law, and the existence of reality, Catholics can still gain insights from the prevailing thoughts and aspirations of our time.
Such a project, however, is fraught with peril. Discerning truth in the sly half-truths of a godless age is not for those easily swayed. Take, for example, the current cultural tendency to speak about and get in touch with your “inner child.” At first blush, this can seem good and even holy. Did not Jesus exhort us: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3)?
Closer analysis reveals that our societal interest in the “inner child” is not the rebirth of a faith-filled Christian but a retreat from the responsibilities of our vocation. We should be skeptical of attempts to “heal” and “reparent” our inner child. It is only through the grace of God, our Creator, that we will
