Searching for Clarity in a World Determined to Create Its Own Path
"Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom" (Psalm 51:8).
I had the privilege of being a keynote speaker at a conference for a group of mostly Catholic adults, ages 25 to 35, this spring. Many of the attendees were graduates of a local Catholic university, and they were collectively disillusioned by the promises made by this culture to provide unending happiness, clarity, and stability to members of Generation Z.
Our culture often promises hope and prosperity with little content or description of just how that will happen. These young people’s eyes were wide open as they began to question these promises and ascertain the truth.
Seeking Wisdom and Truth
The conference, “Holy Relationships in a Crazy World,” was designed to present our faith as the path to finding holiness in our everyday lives.
The day began with Mass said by one of our local Bishops, who most of the young people had encountered previously. They trusted him, and his message hit home with them, starting a great day of learning, sifting through the promises made to them, and clarifying what they could do to move forward on a more authentic path.
Our centuries-old faith continues to provide stability, continuity, and consistency 一 even for a generation that has been disenchanted, disheartened, and disappointed by the lack of meaningful relationships and substantive, decent, respectful friendships. They continue to reach out with hope to find what they are seeking and desire so badly.
You see, AI and technology are only tools. They are not your friends, no matter how much they impersonate human thoughts and ideas. They cannot provide depth and compassionate caring, no matter how much they mimic preconceived, preprogrammed intelligent conversations. These were the concepts conference attendees grappled with: How do we find real, holy relationships? How do we temper technology and put it (and keep it) in its rightful place? How do we live our Catholicity in this culture and remain true to ourselves?
Going Forward with Spiritual Simplicity and Courage
Imagine young people who grew up with a message repeated so many times they could say it in their sleep: You will do everything on your phone. I remember hearing that slogan 25 years ago and being skeptical. Boy, was I wrong! However, our dependence on our phones often doesn’t allow us to have real conversations. Artificial intelligence does not get it done, although the best programs can trick us into thinking they can reason and make better moral conclusions than we ourselves can. Texting doesn’t equal real connection, either. It’s brief and choppy; quick and insistent; and sometimes intrusive and annoying. You can’t have a cup of coffee with your phone and talk about a difficult matter at work. A computer can’t take a walk with us and allow us to share about a relationship problem and help discern next steps. Significantly, no technology can offer a comforting hug in reassurance that all will be well.
Technology can’t complete us. Conference attendees were open with each other and appreciated insights from adults who grew up without such ubiquitous and portable technology. (Remember, one phone attached to a wall? Remember life before social media?)
Technology has been woven into our lives so thoroughly that it’s not going anywhere. It is not just a thread; it is threatening to overtake the entire fabric. We will have to be the ones to create limits. These young people were hungry to learn how to find a partner who is interested in a simpler life or tangible ways to raise their children. They were all willing to say the way things have evolved is not working for them, and they want a change.
Dr. Kate Walsh-Soucheray taught high school religion in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then became a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has master’s degrees in theology and marriage and family therapy, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Dr. Kate and her husband John have been married for 42 years, and they have three adult married children and six, soon to be seven, grandchildren. Dr. Kate is retired and writes and speaks for Catholics.