The Mouths of Babes

Our Pastor, Dale, said during the Taize Service tonight that his son Will had asked him what God looks like. It shook me a little because yesterday Willa asked me if anyone had ever seen God. As Dale said, "What do you tell a child? What do you tell yourself?"

I told Willa I had never known anyone who had seen God. In fact, I suspect most people would rather not run into him. "Why?" she asked with complete innocence. I told her it was bit like the mascots. They are exciting and she loves them, but when she gets right up face to face with them, she trembles with fright. God would be like Truman the Tiger and Fred Bird and Mo the Mule and all the other mascots rolled up into a mascot the size of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

I thought this might scare her considering her fear of mascots, but she kept going. "Has anyone ever talked to God?"

People talk to God all the time. That's what prayer is.

"Does he talk back?"

He doesn't talk back with words. I think he knows how frightening that would be. He can tell us things without talking. Well, he could, I guess, if we were quiet enough, if we slowed down enough and if we paid enough attention.

In the end Dale was right. We don't know much more than the children. We've come so far and learned so little. When you answer those surprisingly prescient questions from the mouths of babes, pay close attention to your answer. You'll probably learn something.

UPDATE: Check out Andys's blog to see the wisdom of his son.