His was a conversion story that was moving and unforgettable like many others. But it struck me during our conversation when he said, “Well, Father, you know that I didn’t really take my Catholic faith seriously because I was simply a Christian by default.”

“What would you mean by that?” I asked quite intrigued by this terminology.

“Oh, it means that I didn’t bother to learn more about my faith and grow deeper in my love for God and neighbor,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“How is that suppose to be considered default?”

“…hmmm, it’s like you’re simply at level zero. Like you don’t go up or down, just in default mode or in technical terms we would say: in the original factory settings.”

“Okay, I get you there, but I don’t agree with the idea that when one is baptized a Christian, he doesn’t remain in some sort of zombie mode or a cell phone without any load.”

“Really?”

“In fact, on the day of our baptism, aside from getting your head doused with water –and believe me, we priests don’t enjoy doing this– you receive a whole lot of graces from God. These graces activate our existence.”

“Oh, I really like that idea of activating,” he laughed. “It’s like giving the software its full potentials.”

“Right. That’s precisely what happens when one is baptized. He is actually loaded with so much grace. Moreover, God even gives him a mission to responsibly share with others what he has received.”

“So, Father, you’re saying that Christian by default isn’t a proper expression?”

“Not exactly, in fact, I like the idea but with a more positive content.”

“What would be the negative one?”

“Of only seeing it as some kind of static state in our existence. In reality, it’s more appropriate to compare our Christian state to an electric switch. There can only be two possibilities: either you’re on or off.”

“Hey, in computer science [this fellow majors in Computer Science], that can be called a binary state. You’re either 0 or 1.”

“Correct! It follows that if you’re 1, you’re ON. And this would mean a Christian in the state of grace, or one who isn’t in the state of sin that gravely offends God in one of His commandments.”

“And being in the state of sin would mean you’re zero?” he frowned.

“Well, sadly, that would be it. It’s the deactivated state of a Christian, who because of sin cannot connect to God by his own fault of short-circuiting himself with his ego, vanity, lust, greed, envy and other serious sins.”

“Then what exactly would be the default Christian state?”

“That would be obviously being in the state of grace, not as something inert but rather a dynamic and vital condition where one seeks to grow and increase in his faith, hope and love.”

“I see what you mean, Father. That default can sound as if one is just sitting there waiting for God to do something special.”

“Yup, but it can still serve to help us understand that it’s important to remain in this condition. Moreover, default here could mean that it is the condition that God wants us to always maintain. Or in other words, it is our identity, and the root of everything that we think, do or say.”

“Would it be correct to say that this default condition is being Christ-like?”

“Whoa! You beat me to that part, dude! That in essence is what Christian by default really is. St. Paul already said that from the very start: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” And in another part he says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

“Wow! That’s really something, Father,” he exclaimed.

“Now for the harder part,” I said smiling.

“What would that be, Father?” he said a bit surprised.

“All that we’ve said so far seems so wonderful and inspiring. But we must remember that we are Christians by the fault, or that in spite our having received so much from God and His grace, we are still prone to sin because our nature was wounded by original sin.”

“You’re serious about that pun, Father?”

“Well, I’m just taking advantage of it, dude. Sides, that the truth about us.”

“And what is that suppose to mean?”