Growing in the Dark: Homemade Christians II

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

Growing in the Dark is a guide for parents, grandparents, and godparents
who wish to impart faith in God to their young children. The author
recognizes that adults do not necessarily have unshakeable faith, and
that the quest will be for them to grow in faith alongside their
children. Various physical exercises are suggested, such as lighting a
candle or studying the night sky; rationales are provided for these
activities, together with follow-up prayers.

The Sacrament of Baptism is referred to, with a reminder that the
child’s sponsor(s) committed him or her to Jesus and received “the
Light of Christ” on the child’s behalf. Parents are advised to
revisit the baptismal vows often, and possibly to relight the baptismal
candle as a source of strength. There are also scriptural quotations and
suggested readings. The text is straightforward and extremely readable,
complemented with charming illustrations by the author.

Growing in the Dark should prove to be a helpful tool in introducing
young children to the concept of God, if used in conjunction with church
or Sunday School attendance and regular readings of Bible stories at
home. I particularly liked the chapter entitled “Even the Dark is
Graced,” which outlines, among other things, how the dark world of the
womb holds a baby safe and snug until the moment of birth. In our
increasingly secular and complex world, searching for a deeper faith in
the context of the family has to be something worth reading about.