An Adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the

Opening Scene

The early morning light gently broke through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. The quiet hum of the city outside felt distant, almost forgotten, as the small library they sat in seemed to exist in a world all its own. The bookshelves stretched high above them, filled with the weight of knowledge, and the air smelled faintly of dust and aged paper. A comfortable silence hung in the space between Jack and Jeeny, the stillness as much a part of the room as the books that lined the walls.

Jack sat in a worn leather chair, his fingers idly tracing the spine of a book he had no intention of opening. Jeeny stood by the window, gazing out into the quiet morning, her figure bathed in the soft light, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. The conversation that had been hanging in the air for days was now ready to surface.

Host: The stillness of the room felt almost sacred, as if the very air demanded attention. And then, as if guided by the weight of their thoughts, Jack spoke, breaking the quiet.

Jack: “You know, I was thinking about what Pope Benedict XVI said, ‘An adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelties.’ I get what he’s saying, but it feels like in the world we live in, everything is driven by the latest trends, the new, the flashy. How do you hold on to something deeper, something more lasting?”

Jeeny turned, her eyes meeting his with a soft serenity as she walked toward the table, sitting across from him. Her voice was calm but filled with conviction.

Jeeny: “I think it’s about stability. Real faith, adult faith, doesn’t bend with the winds of culture. It’s rooted in something more than the momentary fascination of new ideas. It’s about depth, about going beyond what’s popular. The fashionable might catch your eye, but it’s the substance that holds your heart.”

Jack: “But isn’t there something in the newness? Something exciting about exploring what’s fresh, what’s innovative? How can we not be curious about what’s out there, what’s being offered right now?”

Jeeny’s smile was soft, almost as though she understood the question before it was fully asked. Her voice held a quiet strength.

Jeeny: “Curiosity is important, Jack. But there’s a difference between being curious and being swayed. It’s like the waves of the ocean. They come and go, but what remains — what truly anchors you — is what’s beneath the surface. Adult faith, true faith, isn’t about being carried away by the tides of popular opinion. It’s about standing firm, knowing what you believe, regardless of what everyone else is doing.”

Host: The quiet hum of the city outside continued, but in the room, the silence felt like it had settled deeper, the weight of their words hanging in the air. Jack’s expression softened, as if he were considering the shift in perspective Jeeny had just offered.

Jack: “But don’t you think that faith and belief can evolve? That we should be open to new ways of thinking, to change?”

Jeeny: “Of course. Faith is not about rejecting change. It’s about growth. But growth isn’t just about chasing after the latest ideas or getting swept up in the trends. It’s about nurturing a deeper understanding, staying grounded in what truly matters — in what is eternal. Fashion comes and goes, but what we hold in our hearts, what we believe at our core, that’s what lasts.”

Host: The light in the room grew warmer, filling the space with a kind of quiet certainty. The quietness between them held the weight of something deeper, as though they were both standing on the edge of something that needed to be said, but had not yet fully found its voice.

Jack: “I see your point, but I feel like we can’t just shut ourselves off from the world. Growth requires openness, a willingness to embrace change and progress. How can we truly grow if we’re always looking backward, clinging to what was?”

Jeeny’s eyes held his, soft yet steady, her words gentle but firm.

Jeeny: “Growth doesn’t mean abandoning your foundation. It means deepening your roots, so you can reach higher. If your faith is anchored in something true, then no matter how the world around you changes, you remain constant, like a tree that grows in all directions because its roots are secure. It’s not about rejecting the new — it’s about knowing when something is fleeting and when it’s worth holding onto.”

Host: The soft rustle of pages turning somewhere in the room seemed to echo their words. Outside, the city was waking up, but in this small room, in this quiet space, they both felt as though they were grasping at something larger — a truth that had been there all along, waiting for them to find it.

Jack: “So it’s about staying true to what’s important, even when everything else around us seems to change, to shift?”

Jeeny: “Yes. Adult faith isn’t just about belief; it’s about conviction. It’s about standing firm in your values, not because the world says it’s the right thing, but because it feels true deep inside of you. And when you know that, no matter how much the world changes, you won’t be swayed.”

Host: The room, though full of stillness, seemed to breathe more deeply now, the weight of their conversation lingering like a soft echo. There was a sense of peace in the space between them — not an absence of questions, but a quiet confidence that came from something eternal.

Jack: “I think I understand now. Faith is a choice, not just a reaction to the world. It’s a steady commitment to what’s true, no matter how much the world tries to pull you in a new direction.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. And that’s what gives us the strength to endure, to grow, and to face whatever comes our way — with clarity, with purpose.”

Host: The room fell silent again, but this time it was a different kind of silence. It was a peaceful, understanding silence, one that held the weight of the truth they had shared, the kind of truth that would stay with them long after the conversation ended.

Host: “Perhaps, in the end, true faith isn’t just about believing in something. It’s about being grounded in something that doesn’t change — a belief that remains steadfast, even as everything else shifts.”

End Scene