When your faith doesn’t look like everyone else’s

By Voices for the Voiceless

Last weekend, many gathered for Jesus Explosion. With music, worship, preaching, prayer, and a powerful atmosphere of celebration, it once again became a defining moment of faith for many young Catholics in Trinidad and Tobago.

For some, it was a weekend of renewal. For others, it was a moment of returning to God. For many, it was a reminder that faith is still alive among young people. And that is something worth celebrating.

In a time when young people are often described as disconnected from religion or searching for meaning elsewhere, there is something incredibly hopeful about seeing thousands willingly gather to worship Jesus.

Events like Jesus Explosion have created spaces where people encounter Christ, build community, and experience the joy of faith in a very visible way. But as I reflected on the weekend, I found myself thinking about another important conversation: the many ways people encounter God.

Growing up in the Church, many young Catholics, me included, may have received the message (directly or indirectly) that this type of passionate, charismatic expression was the clearest sign of a strong faith.

The person with their hands raised, singing loudly, moved to tears, and fully immersed in worship appeared to be someone who had truly encountered Jesus.

And for those of us who did not always experience faith that way, it was easy to wonder: Is something wrong with my relationship with God?

Am I worshipping incorrectly?

Am I not trying hard enough?

Am I not open enough to God?

Sometimes, without even realising it, we can begin to measure our faith by comparing our own spiritual journey to someone else’s experience. We can assume that because someone else expresses their love for God in a particular way, that must be the standard we need to reach.

But over time, I have come to realise that God has never limited Himself to one expression of spirituality. The Catholic Church has always been rich with different ways of encountering Christ.

Some people find God in the energy of a worship gathering.

Others find Him in the silence of Eucharistic Adoration.

Some encounter Him through Scripture, through serving others, through traditional prayers, through acts of kindness, or through moments of quiet reflection.

Not every encounter with Christ is loud.

Scripture reminds us of this. When the prophet Elijah searched for God, he did not find Him in the powerful wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Instead, he encountered God in a gentle whisper.

Jesus Himself often withdrew from crowds to pray in solitude. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was described as someone who “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

There is holiness in the excitement of thousands worshipping together, but there is also holiness in the person sitting quietly in a chapel, whispering a prayer only God can hear.

This is not a criticism of Jesus Explosion or charismatic worship. In fact, moments like these can be powerful encounters with Christ. The Holy Spirit moves through music, celebration, emotion, and community. For many people, Jesus Explosion may have been the moment they felt closest to God.

But perhaps the invitation is for us to remember that the Holy Spirit is not confined to one style, one personality, or one experience.

The Church needs the person at the front with the microphone and the person quietly praying in the back pew. It needs those who worship with their hands raised and those who worship through silent contemplation. It needs those who express their faith outwardly and those whose faith is carried quietly within their hearts.

A faith community becomes stronger when every person understands that there is room for them. Because a relationship with Christ is not measured by how emotional our worship appears or how visible our faith looks to others. It is measured by how we allow that relationship to transform the way we love God and love one another.

So, as we reflect on Jesus Explosion 2026, may we celebrate those who gathered in praise. May we rejoice that young people continue to search for hope, purpose, and meaning through Christ.

But may we also remember those who were not at the front of the crowd. The person who sat quietly. The person who prayed silently. The person who wondered if their way of encountering God was enough.

They are not less faithful. Their encounter with God may simply look different. Because not every encounter with Christ is loud.

Some happen in the celebration of a crowd.

Some happen in the stillness of silence.

And some happen in the quiet heart of someone who has always been listening.