Theme 5: Simple Faith Narrative

Overview

In these stories, Jesse has an immediate emotional or intellectual reaction to something sacred, finding peace or comfort in faith. There’s little internal struggle; the response is swift, whether through feelings of forgiveness or rational clarity. These stories show how deeply embedded faith practices are for many young people, especially those from non-Western cultures. They also highlight the role of technology in connecting Gen Z to both global and local spiritual traditions.

Story Stem 

All story submissions begin with the same story stem or prompt.

32 unread messages. Jesse put down the phone, frustrated. How would Jesse get through the next few days? Looking for answers -- or distraction -- Jesse picked up the phone and started watching videos.

One video caught Jesse's eye. A remarkable individual, talking about something religious or spiritual. Jesse couldn't quite make it out, but Jesse was interested and found something impressive, maybe admirable, about the person.

So, Jesse continued watching and . . . .