Recently, I texted a former student of mine whose mother, an actress, is featured in the series Elsbeth. I was delighted when I received an immediate reply from the young man I had coached in lacrosse and soccer, his secondary sports (he starred in basketball and plays in college). And, despite our Episcopal school requiring 3x weekly chapel, this student-athlete was decidedly not a chapel enthusiast. That being said, he had recently returned from China where he reported “listening to a lot of podcasts and reading from religious texts.” He continued, “I used not to think religion would have been a big part of my life but I’ve recently been interested in implementing it into my daily life.” After telling me he was reading Genesis, he asked for my recommendation for religious practices and texts. Knowing how brief and cryptic my twenty-something son’s texts can be—I was deeply moved by the fact that this young alum had replied and done so with a clear desire for spiritual growth. As school chaplains, we are very familiar with those students who seem to have no interest in our weekly worship services and sit seemingly disengaged through the required chapel gatherings. Then this same young person comes back to an alumni gathering and reports that they feel as though something is “missing” from their lives post-graduation. They find themselves searching for spiritual belonging and the opportunity to gather in worship. How many of our former students have surprised us by asking us to officiate a wedding, baptize their child, or bury their loved one? Alums whom we didn’t think were paying attention while they were attending our chapel services who later felt a pullback to devotional experiences.
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