For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Why the growing secularism of society is an opportunity for God’s triumph.
This week in the Coracle: We talk about the forgotten Cause for the Canonisation of Servant of God King James VII & II as well as celebrate and remember some of our other local Saints including, a Saint at the heart of Scotland’s origin story; a Prince who left it all behind to become servant of Christ in Lochalsh and an Argyll Saint who St Columba prophesised about. Have a look at our Calendar to find out more. To continue our Argyll connection, if you would like to learn some of our most common prayers in Gaelic go to the Diocesan page here. Our main article below is from Jack Heitman who reflects on God’s power through our weakness.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
St Paul preaching n the Areopagus, 1729-31 by Sir James Thornhill (1675/76 - 1734)
Developed societies around the world are showing a clear trend of secularism. It’s not a comforting thing to know, but then again, it’s not worth ignoring or being naïve about. Here’s the truth: according to Scotland’s 2022 Census and as reported by the National Records of Scotland, a total of 51.1% of people responded as having ‘no religion’—a significant and somewhat alarming hike from the 36.7% who reported as such in 2011. Christianity, more specifically, shared in this decline across all denominations. From 2011 to 2022, the Church of Scotland saw a decrease from 32.4% to 20.4%, and Roman Catholics dropped from 36.7% to 13.3%.
The trend continues outside of Scotland as well. Only 49% of people in the UK believe in God, down from 75% in 1981. In the U.S., Christian adults now only represent 63% of the population, down from 78% only a decade ago. And globally, the number of religiously unaffiliated individuals grew by 17%, outpacing the growth of 11% religiously affiliated, despite undeveloped countries with high birth rates and high percentages of religious.
There’s no way of skirting around the issue, and it is largely driven by the quickly growing non-religious younger people who are replacing the older, religious demographics. But let’s also be clear that this does not in any way mean that people who are religious are themselves lesser in faith, nor does it mean that the Church and its leaders are frail. It is simply an indication that society’s cumulative soul—be it a family member, a neighbour, or someone you pass on the street—is becoming more distanced in their relationship with God. I know that this is not a particularly encouraging topic, but I’m here to tell you that in this moment, we are presented a grand opportunity. As St. Paul wrote, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10); the growing secularism in society is perhaps the perfect opportunity for God’s triumph.
Truth from the Past
In case you don’t have a copy near at hand, I present the full context of St. Paul’s quote below:
[9] But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
[10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1 Corinthians 12:9-10
In this letter, Paul was addressing the small church community of the Corinthians. He explained to them of a recurring weakness that he felt, awoken again and again with persistent trial and suffering to which he described as a “thorn in his flesh”. We might feel the same way when confronted with the realization that society is growing rapidly, but the community of faithful is not—that skyscrapers of glass and steel reach towards the clouds and trillions upon trillions of dollars are thrown towards new AI initiatives, yet we struggle to scrape together enough money, for example, to repair the roof of Edinburgh’s own Catholic cathedral. It might feel as if we are failing, and that we need more money and more people to weather whatever it is that is coming next. But that is simply not the case.
Indeed, Paul prayed to God, asking that he might be relieved of this weakness. But what he found was something else entirely. Instead of a quick remedy for his pain, God presented a far better plan: one where struggles, trials, perils, and tribulations did not lead to despair, but opportunity; one where despite the limits of human will, ultimate spiritual and personal strength could be found.
You see, Paul learned that God, and God alone, is more than sufficient. In fact, his grace is actually made perfect in weakness. If it sounds paradoxical, it’s because it is. But that doesn’t make it any less true. True strength does not lie in one’s own abilities, knowledge, or resources, nor does it lie in political or numeric might. Our strength is our faith in God. And when we trust ourselves to Him, yielding to His will and His sufficiency, we will find the battle standard to which we can rally. Regardless of the long defeat that lies ahead of us, we know that the ultimate victory will be ours. So, when we see the signs of a growing secular society, I do wonder whether we should in fact be glad. The weakening of society’s collective soul is perhaps merely a budding flower in which God’s plan for the whole world’s salvation can be assured.
A Part of God’s Playbook
It’s exciting to think about how the seeds of God’s plan may very well already be planted, despite the growing ‘weakness’ in society’s faith. What does that entail for us? More specifically, how should we, the Catholic community here in Scotland, be prepared to take part in the beautiful redemption story at hand? Of course, the simple answer is to have faith! But the key here is that we must live our faith, and by living our faith we can show our faith. When within and beyond our community there is a steady rise of turmoil and change, the peaceful, calming persistence of the faithful will be a beacon of hope to all who look for it. War, injustice, poverty, radical technological change, political instability—you name it. Instability gives rise to a desire for stability, and that’s precisely what we should aim to be. Young people, specifically, are growing up in a world where it is hard to know what’s true and what is good. They are filled with anxiety and are promised pleasure and satisfaction in the shallowest of things. Social media, AI deep fakes, influencers? The fragility in these earthly things will slowly, but surely, reveal themselves for what they truly are. And when those young people are looking for something more, something that they can trust and rely upon, they will undoubtedly recall institutions like the Catholic church, which have weathered times of great change for two thousand years. When they go looking, there they will find us—filled with God’s light and love and hope.
Our strength is our faith in God. Keep attending regular mass. Listen to and carry out the words of our priests after their Sunday homily. Always seek to live out your faith for the common good. Love your neighbour. Rest your worries and anxieties at God’s feet, for the battle belongs to Him. And yes, on the outside, growing worldwide secularism may feel like a weakness. But rest assured that we will most assuredly overcome what the future has in store, for when we are weak, then we are strong.
By Jack Heitman