At the 20-somethings women's Bible study last week, a couple gals were pondering this question, "Where exactly do we see God in our lives?" Oh, we batted around the usual answers like: in the mountains, during prayer, at church, in acts of kindness.
One woman suggested the following: God is most prominent in laughter and tears. She went further: maybe that is God. It's another way to think about God, a more Eastern way to ponder God as that which connects us, makes us truly human.
This same young woman teaches grades 5-6 in Sunday school at Central. When discussing the First Commandment, she reported, one of the kids protested. The kid said, "Do I really have to love God above everything? But I want to love my parents first." (I paraphrase her report of his comment).
The teacher noted she was a bit stumped. What are we to say? "I'm sorry child, you have to love this thing you can't see even more than your mommy and daddy." It does sound odd.
But maybe, suggested this teacher, maybe we need to explain to children that when we laugh and cry and love with our families and friends, that is God. And these are the places we are to put our love and attention. These meaningful human interactions become something of God to us. After all, isn't God love?
She wondered if she could truly explain this to a child. What do you think?
1 comment:
Wasn't it Jesus who said something like, "Who is my mother and my brother?" What about the response to the man who wanted to bury his father before following Jesus? "Let the dead bury the dead," I believe was the response. It's hard to grasp, but I do think we're called to put God before our parents... Yet, I would also note for those who go for the "two tablet" theory on the 10 Commandments, that Honoring Parents tops the list of commandments regarding interaction with one another (God first vertical relationship, Parents first horizontal relationship)... How do you explain it to a kid? Tough call, but I don't know if we want to back down. Especially not in a society that worships kids and families above all else.
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