In “Blossoming Faith: An Encounter with a Young Student in Cairo,” the narrator shares her encounter with a student named Geaney. Geaney’s comment that some of her colleagues live as if God does not exist takes the narrator by surprise. The narrator is amazed that such a young person could make such a profound connection between faith and everyday life. She feels a sense of shame that it took her longer to come to this realization. Geaney’s words continue to inspire the narrator and strengthen her own faith.
I want to share with you a story about one of my encounters with our students in Cairo, Egypt. I have had several encounters that have impacted my journey of faith and service, but this one in particular stood out to me. Her name was Geaney, a young girl full of happiness and light. As the school day was coming to an end, Geaney approached me and said something that took me by surprise: “I am very sad to see that some of my colleagues live as if God did not exist,”. I asked her why she felt that way, and she thoughtfully replied: “Sister, they like to go to the mall and have burgers and fries, they like to go to the cinema, dancing, travelling and playing on their phones. I too like and do all these, but I do it with God.”
Her words left me in awe. I couldn’t believe that such a young woman, barely 14, had already synthesized the importance of having a relationship with God in every aspect of her life. It made me wonder; how did she get there? How did she come to understand that life isn’t just a collection of isolated moments, but a holistic experience that includes God in every aspect?
After my initial amazement, I felt a sense of shame. I realized that I shared Geaney’s view, but my journey of faith had taken much longer than hers. I had many opportunities to think, reflect, study, and experience the awareness of the Divine Presence gradually throughout my life. But Geaney had already understood that life cannot be lived without God, and that realization was the cause of her sadness.
Months have passed since that encounter and Geaney’s words continuously return to my mind provoking my courage to believe. Her youthful blossoming faith strengthens my own.
Janete Santos de Castro, cms
