Many of us have experienced transforming spiritual experiences during the summer; through camps, conferences, retreats, and mission trips we have made huge strides to grow closer to Christ – and in a sense, fatten our spiritual wallets. We’ve built up something I call “spiritual currency,” because in the same way we can save up money working a summer job, we have built up grace through our holy encounters this summer.
These encounters with Christ might begin to lose momentum as school approaches and as we catch up with people who didn’t experience our summer. This is the key moment when we’re tempted to “sell” our spiritual currency to fit in and be accepted. The price to fit in is high this first month, and you’ll be tempted to sell your integrity to fit into the party stories, to sell your chastity to fit into a relationship, to sell your morality to fit into a group of people, or to sell your dignity to avoid rejection – but beware the back to school “sales.”
