Children's Lit Theology: Mid-Week Reflection

EMILY RUTLEDGE, YOUTH MINISTER

For an English major I must admit that the majority of my reading for the past four years has included a plethora of online blogs and the entire collection of Dr. Seuss. While the vocabulary is much more palatable that middle-English Chaucer the lessons on life are just as meaningful and poignant. My poor children and husband often have to sit with me as I tearily read through another one of Seuss’ books that teach a lesson I should already know or that I desperately want my children to learn without the pain of the life-experience that goes with it.

For a long time I wanted to emulate the faith and Christianity of those I admired. I wanted to be able to text a perfectly applicable bible verse to a friend who shared with me a person struggle. I was desperate to be able to argue my case on heated religious topics with accurate historical support that I could summon from my brain without needing to go back to books I had scribbled in and stuck post-it notes all over (funny how when in those conversations asking someone to wait so you can collect your thoughts and get your information together doesn’t really work).

I love and admire people who can do those things, it has brought joy to my life and helped me feel solidified on the Holy ground I walk on.

I am not those people.

I have found that when someone tells me something hard I can hug them really well, listen hard, and with the right person, find the perfect picture from the internet that is witty and a bit crass but describes their situation perfectly to text them. I can’t spout out religious history or argue well my case when it comes to controversial topics regarding hot button issues but I can point to the cross and duck.

I can give the simple answer, God is love. If it’s not about love… it’s not about God.

This whole faith thing, following Christ, aligning our living with the living of Jesus, it’s complicated. If you are like me you get in your head about it and start to look around and wonder if everyone else is a New York Times Christian and you are just sitting there reading Dr. Seuss and learning the basics. I’ve come to accept something: I’m okay being a One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Believer. I’m okay with the fact that I find Christ in Children’s books and send ridiculous memes as pastoral care. I’m okay because I’m me. God knit me together to love Her, understand Her, and discover Her in a way that feels right to me.

There is no right way to do this Christian thing. There is only your way.

The questions are complicated and the answers are simple. They are inside of you to discover in a way that is true and real and meaningful for you. The Holy dwells in you, its form in each of us is different and miraculous and life-giving. We must stop looking around to find out how it compares and instead honor it and share it with the world that is in desperate need of that unique life-giving love.