Dangers for the laity

There is a two-fold danger. On the one hand, the Christian laity may form a kind of a ghetto; that is to say, they may consider their religious activities to be confined only to the Church and keeping the commandments. Then Christians huddle together in a kind of igloo, completely divorcing faith and action. The other extreme would be to become so worldly, that they can do nothing with it. The result of this separation of religion and the world is that culture has emancipated itself from Christ and become demonic. For the laity to be effective, they have to do three things. First of all they have to be conscious of the fact that they are members of the people of God, the community. Second, they must be theologically literate. St. Peter said they should be able to give reason for the faith that is in them. And then third, they must communicate with the world as Christians.