When Jesus wanted to make a point he used images drawn from the Bible and everyone knew what he was talking about. “As it was in the days of Noah…” When my family gathered this Thanksgiving several of my nephews and nieces describe themselves as “nones,” having no religious affiliation. On the one hand I have confidence that given their background and formation in the family they have gospel values even if unacknowledged. On the other hand, I am concerned that we are losing a “vocabulary” to talk with one another. Will they know who Noah is and what the image Jesus used means? Having a religious formation matters if for no other reason than that it creates the ability to talk across the differences.
