I'm collecting anecdotes that indicate the demise of Christendom and the emergence of a culture in which the story, language and symbols of Christianity are becoming unknown.
Three of these are included in Post-Christendom and Church after Christendom:
1. In a London school a teenager with no church connections hears the Christmas story for the first time. His teacher tells it well and he is fascinated by this amazing story. Risking his friends’ mockery, after the lesson he thanks her for the story. One thing had disturbed him, so he asks: ‘Why did they give the baby a swear-word for his name?’
2. One Sunday in Oxford a man visits a church building to collect something for his partner who works during the week in a creative-arts project the church runs. He arrives as the morning congregation is leaving and recognises the minister, whom he knows. Surprised, he asks: ‘What are all these people doing here? I didn’t know churches were open on Sundays!’
3. A teenager was fascinated by the ‘magic square’ on Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, in which many numerical combinations add up to 33. ‘Why 33?’ she asked. ‘Because Jesus died at that age.’ ‘That was young – what did he die of?’ Walking into the cathedral she continued, ‘Who’s that woman and why does she always have a baby?’
I've heard several more since those books were written. Who else has any?
I had personal expersonal of this one.
I was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping, when I passed a young man and young woman who also were doing some window shopping.
They had stopped to look at the multiple creches that were filling the department store window. The young man and woman were talking in low quiet tones about the scene in the windows.
She: What's are these things?
He: These are called creches or mangers.
She:I've seen these before but I never knew what they were.
He: The are brought out every Christmas so as to help us remember the purpose of the holiday season.
She: Why? Was somebody born in a barn? I thought that we gave gifts because it was a custom at this time of the year.
He: No, we give gifts because of the baby born in the barn, who claimed to be the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
She: Is that Mrs. Christ and Mr. Christ taking care of the baby then?
He: Havn't you ever heard of the Christmas story in the Bible?
She:No, where did you hear of it?