Children’s letters to God

From the desk of Fr. Ignatius Waters CP

Sunday 31st May 2015

A young teacher had a bright idea that she would ask the children in her class to write letters to God telling him how they were feeling. She had no idea how bright an idea it was! The children were aged between 5 and 11. These are some examples.

Dear God, are you really invisible? I’d like to meet you but it would be strange if I can’t see you. Was Jesus your son or did you just tell him what to say?” Yours, Mary.

“Dear God, why didn’t you tell Eve not to trust the snake? Then she wouldn’t have eaten that stupid old apple. Did you secretly want her to eat it?” Love, Tristan.

“Dear God, my teacher told me to write you a letter. But there’s no point because you know everything already. So you know what I’m thinking now”. Yours sincerely, Gavin from Newcastle, but you knew that!

“Dear God, when I am as old as my mother, she will be as old as my grandmother. I hope I don’t argue like they do”. Suzanne.

“Dear God, if people didn’t get dirty, then they wouldn’t need to have baths. You should have made people so they don’t get dirty. And children should get bigger faster so they don’t have to always do what they’re told. I’ve lots of good ideas”. All the best. Liam.

 

“Dear God, couldn’t you make the earth so there weren’t all these big storms and tsunamis and floods. I don’t think everyone’s a sinner who gets killed in an earthquake. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe next time you make a world you could make it a bit safer”. Yours sincerely, Gordon.

 

“Dear God, I don’t know if I believe in you any more. I wake up in the middle of the night and I think about dying and about how it might not be heaven. It might just be nothing forever and ever. I wish I could be sure if you are there or not. I can’t help thinking it’s just something people make up to make themselves feel good about dying. But I do hope you are real. I don’t mean to be rude. I just want you to know how I feel”. Lots of love! Kevin.

 

Don’t these few examples show how deeply children think about things and worry about things, how wise and sensitive they are? But you knew that anyway, didn’t you? Doesn’t it show, too, how important it is that we take their questions seriously and do our best to answer them? Always remembering children can ask questions that no one can answer!

 

                  I never liked being told, “It’s a mystery!”