Christ Our Life Answers the “Why” in Our Hearts

By: Kevin Teale

“WHY”? Out of the big five interrogatories of: who, what, where, when and of course, why, this seems to be the big one, for so many.

Why was this past winter so warm and why has spring come so early?  Why can’t we find peace in the Middle East? And the ultimate why as pondered by Bill Cosby “Why is there air?” I can’t answer those questions, but Cos’ told us air exists so there would be something to inflate volleyballs.

So let me ask another “Why” question……Why should I mark my calendar for the Christ Our Life Iowa Regional Conference, Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23 in Des Moines? While the easy answer would be one I’ve recited to my children repeatedly ”Because I told you so,”  or because “it’s good for you,” those are insufficient calls to action for adults…and it never really seemed to work on the kids, anyway.

Mark your fall schedule for Christ Our Life because I truly believe with the outstanding line-up of speakers and musicians, you’ll come away from the event feeling a boost to your faith greater than even one of those convenience store energy shots or the air that inflates that volleyball.

My original thought of attending the 2010 conference was more of a chore than a desire to deepen my faith. First off, I was “volun-told” by a good friend at church to help vendors set up booths. Then, my wife, who often is more passionate about her faith than me, asked me to go for at least the Sunday Mass, if not for a few of the speakers.

I truly expected a day filled with fire-and-brimstone speeches about how we all face eternal damnation if we don’t repent.

What I got was a refreshing day listening to people who’ve faced tough situations in their lives, and found that faith in Jesus Christ allows them to rise each day with peace and happiness. People like Renee Bondi, an author and singer who literally fell out of bed and became paralyzed, but through work and God’s will, has created a ministry of hope. Or Magnus Macfarlane-Barrow and his “Mary’s Meals” program to feed the hungry and who became one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes in 2010.

There were other speakers with a strong message of faith. I left Wells Fargo Arena after two days feeling stronger about my faith. Not in a “I want to shout from the rooftops” sort of way, but more of a strong conviction that I’ve made the right choice to continue as a practicing Catholic, long after my parents stopped checking to see if I went to Mass last Sunday.

The conference this year has me excited for many of the same reasons. One speaker, Immaculée Ilibagiza, hid for weeks in a tiny bathroom with several other women to escape Rwandan genocide. She’ll tell us how her faith not only helped her survive, but helped her deal with why God would allow such evil in the world.

I’m now serving on the conference marketing committee. So, allow me to encourage you to set aside time for the conference in September. Mark it on your calendar. Follow our announcements. Check out our website www.ChristOurLifeIowa.com . “Like” us on Facebook. Watch your church bulletin. See friends and co-workers you may not have even known are Catholic who might help you on your faith journey, while you help them with theirs.

Make a personal commitment to come for at least one speaker or for Mass…just as I did in 2010.

I’ll see you there!