For the past two weeks I've been trying to think of something to write about in this edition. What agenda should I write about? What sort of dirt can I dig up on the Democrats? What about our left-winged media? I struggled to find the right topic. I finally found it a couple hours ago while attending Mass at St. Charles.

Being at IU, sometimes we feel cut off from the outside world. Cut off from what really matters. Maybe even swayed by popular campus culture. And often given the impression that faith is gone. Well, I realized this morning that faith is far from gone. As a matter of fact, faith is more prevalent than the "powers that be" on this campus want us to know.

After arriving at St. Charles a half-hour or so early to do some personal reflection, I was able to see the people arriving one by one. Young, old, handicapped, able-bodied, rich, and poor. I sat and watched the parishioners as they came into the church. I watched their rituals. Actually, I must confess that I was looking at many of the younger children to see if they did them correctly. I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of faith that these young children put forth. Most sat quietly and went through Mass with ease and etiquette.

But, why should have I been surprised? After all, I did go to Catholic school. I went through the same things these children go through in the Church. For some reason I was led to believe that religion and faith had passed the world by. Surely today's children couldn't be this well behaved and faithful? Well, they are! Even in the midst of what some call a "falling away from faith," we still have young children that believe. Young children that have the ability and the power to bring into the world what many of us have let pass by...faith in God.

I also saw adults who showed more faith than I had anticipated. I looked to the back of the church to see at least 30 people standing! I was one of the lucky ones who had a place to sit. But, to see that many people standing and going through the motions of the mass was a great feeling. Normally, you don't see that many people standing unless it's Christmas Midnight Mass! Again, I was pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps we don't have as much of a "falling away" as many people want us to believe. Maybe instead of listening to the media, our friends, neighbors, campus politics, etc., we should look where the faith really is. It lies within our hearts, our churches, our priests, our pastors, and our rabbis. If we look for it there, we will find it. If we look elsewhere, we won't find it.

As long as we have the ability to embrace faith, we will never lose our ability to love, hope, and endure. Don't be swayed by the atheistic "powers" that seem to encompass our world and our campus. It really isn't as bad as it seems. You may have to look a little harder than in past days, but it really is still there! And when you find it, you too will be pleasantly surprised.