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Reflections on Being a Young
Adult Catholic
An Interview with Jean-Edouard Armand
Jean-Edouard Armand lives on the south side
of Chicago and works for Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, Illinois,
as a technical support consultant. Getting from Point A to Point
B using public transportation - not a likely place to reflect about
God...unless you're Jean-Edouard Armand. Jean, 25, sat on a bus,
looked at his fellow passengers and thought, "Isn't this frickin'
awesome! All these people are breathing; they all have thoughts
running through their minds; some are believers; some may not be.
And God knows everything about each one of them. That's profound!"
Jean's faith never leaves him. Sometimes
it's a little quieter, sometimes it is a little louder. But, it's
always there. "I don't make an effort to bring faith to work;
it just happens to follow me. It's what I'm all about," says
Jean, who works as a technical support consultant. Jean sees religion
as a way to express faith. "I hope this doesn't sound heretical,"
laughs Jean. "I believe religion is man made. What you have
is faith. Different people express their faith differently and religion
provides some structure for people to practice their faith."
Jean sees the Catholic Church not as an
end, but as a means to an end. The end is peoples' relationship
with God. Jean believes that Catholicism does a good job of helping
those who are seeking God. And, he thinks that everyone, whether
they realize it or not, is seeking to go back home; everyone is
seeking God. Jean respects other religions, yet acknowledges that,
"certain ideologies can steer you in an incorrect direction."
The one thing that Jean finds most helpful about Catholicism is
its inclusiveness. "Everyone's invited. We try to follow in
Jesus' footsteps by his example,"Jean explains. "Jesus
sat around with lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors; he was out
there with the dregs of society. We must get in the mud and help
people out. If someone is drowning, you don't sit on the bank and
toss out a twig. You jump in and drag them to shore. Our mission
[as Catholics] is to bring other people to an understanding of God
- who He (or She!) is and what He/She is all about."
What would Jean say to peers who don't attend
church on a regular basis, but who are curious about exploring it
again? "Go for it!" he enthusiastically advises. "I'd
encourage them to investigate other churches as well, to see what's
different." Jean adds, "Do they like what they see? Or,
is Catholicism more fitting? It's the best fit for me."
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