Growing Up with Parents’ Complicated Faith
Frances’ background shows us how much our parents’ mistakes can impact our faith journey. Reflect on your childhood to wonder about the intersection between the beliefs you received and the faith you saw lived out in your parents.
When you consider your religious background, what parental figure (whether mother, father, or grandparent) sticks out as the spiritual leader of the home? How would you describe their spiritual practices and beliefs?
Frances’s mother may have believed in God's forgiveness but rarely offered it to her children freely. What contradictions stuck out when you observed your parental or authority figures?
How did secret-keeping show up in your childhood? Were there some truths that adults seemed it was better to ignore rather than address?
In what ways, whether big or small, have your parents’ struggles impacted your faith journey?
