The Toilet Test
It was only when I had to teach young people when I noticed how much I needed to learn.
If we are not able to explain a concept to a sixth-grader, then we probably do not have an informed opinion on the matter. If we cannot express an idea without hiding behind polysyllabic words, we probably haven’t internalized the concept.
Some of us can love God with our minds but fail to love with our hearts, and souls, and strength. Perhaps we say, “Studying theology is my prayer.” We might talk about God without really talking to God.
Others might have the opposite problem. Maybe your religious education stopped in grade school. Perhaps you’ve learned more about virology than theology in the past two years.
One is not saved by memorizing Bible verses or being really good at Catholic trivia. Being kind and loving is more important than reciting all the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
But knowledge is still important.
I recently saw a study from 2010 in which 65% of Catholics celebrated Easter as a religious holiday, but only 37% (!) of Catholics could list the resurrection as the reason for the holiday. The resurrection...is kind of a big deal! Without the resurrection, Christians should close up their churches and do something else on Sunday morning.
The “toilet test” can be a humbling but helpful way to check our understanding: