| How could Jesus live in the clouds but not be made of them?
Why did God make mosquitoes?
Does Jesus wear undies?
These are just some of the questions that Katherine Lee’s young daughters have asked her. As a seminary graduate, one might expect Lee to have theologically profound answers for each of these questions. But amidst the whirlwind of raising children and working, Lee admits that she knows the “mommy brain” phenomenon well.
Even if she didn’t, though, Lee doubts she would experience her daughters’ questions as any less perplexing.
Lee explains that children are fundamentally religious because they naturally come by belief. But they are also secular in that they are unaware of dogma and rules of faith until they are taught to understand them.
“This makes them refreshingly innocent and persistent tire kickers unafraid of appearing heretical or irreverent,” Lee writes.
Children’s theological questions may seem inappropriate or seek to make connections where there aren’t any to be found. This range of possibilities isn’t a threat to Christian parents, though, it’s a playground.
As parents engage their children in faith discussions, they can do so with the certainty that God smiles upon curiosity. As Lee puts it, “Theologizing with kids, or with any honest seeker for that matter, is like a live theater play performed with sensitivity and regard for each context, each audience. And in some cases, it might mean discussing the Messiah’s knickers.” |
