First of all, when answering a child’s question, remember:  -Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.   -Children may not be asking the question we think they are asking.   -Children love answering their own questions.  -There is no bad question.  -It is okay not to have an answer right away..  -It is also okay to say that some questions just don’t have answers, at least not right now.  ESPECIALLY – remember that children love answering their own questions.   Now this is a fun question to discuss with your child.  And while discussing “who is Jesus?” you will probably deepen...

First of all, when answering a child’s question, remember:  -Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.   -Children may not be asking the question we think they are asking.   -Children love answering their own questions.  -There is no bad question.  -It is okay not to have an answer right away..  -It is also okay to say that some questions just don’t have answers, at least not right now.  ESPECIALLY – remember that children love answering their own questions.   These questions about a child's pet are ones that you can discuss with your child, while offering your loving perspective. And...

First of all, when answering a child’s question, remember:  -Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.   -Children may not be asking the question we think they are asking.   -Children love answering their own questions.  -There is no bad question.  -It is okay not to have an answer right away..  -It is also okay to say that some questions just don’t have answers, at least not right now.  ESPECIALLY – remember that children love answering their own questions.  However, this is another one of those questions that I would not let my child answer.   We want to protect our...

First of all, when answering a child’s question, remember: -Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.  -Children may not be asking the question we think they are asking.  -Children love answering their own questions. -There is no bad question. -It is okay not to have an answer right away.. -It is also okay to say that some questions just don’t have answers, at least not right now. ESPECIALLY – remember that children love answering their own questions.   However, this is one of those questions that I would not let my child answer first! I would immediately, lovingly, say,...

I have long held onto the wisdom that there is no “them” or “us”.  We are all human.  When we cause harm to another we harm ourselves.  When we act compassionately toward one another we appeal to the human heart—we become aware of not only our experiences of pain and suffering, but we also “see” each other as wondrous creatures full of capacities for love, understanding and gratitude.  When one or more of these capacities emerge, any notion of “them” and “us” fades away and we experience a deep and simple joy.   The deep and simple joy that I am...

Children’s Question: What is God? Who is God?  First of all, when answering a child’s question, remember:  -Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.   -Children may not be asking the question we think they are asking.   -Children love answering their own questions.  -There is no bad question.  -It is okay not to have an answer right away..  -It is also okay to say that some questions just don’t have answers, at least not right now.   ESPECIALLY – remember that children love answering their own questions.  So, if a child asks me “What is God? Who is God?” or...

Who is God? What is heaven like? What happens when someone dies?  How do I love someone who is mean to me?  Children have all sorts of questions, including all sorts of faith questions.  In the next weeks, I’m going to share some ideas about how you might answer these faith questions. But, first of all, I want to share some ideas about answering children’s questions in general.   Children usually want simpler answers than we give them.  I remember going into a long, detailed explanation with my boys, only to have them say (when they were a bit older), “Mom,...

Who is my neighbour? a young lawyer asked Jesus.  What the lawyer wanted was a definitive definition.  Give me the exact description of who a neighbour is and then I’ll know who I have to love, since you tell me, Jesus, that I am to love my neighbour as I love myself.  Give me the specifics, Jesus, and then I’ll know who I have to love, and I can avoid spending energy on those I don’t have to love.  The young lawyer (a student in Jewish law) thought he had it all figured out.    That is until Jesus told the...

Easter joy is soul joy.  It cares nothing for how much we have, what we own, how busy we are, or however we understand success.  Most of us know that none of those things foster soul joy.  Easter’s transforming joy is deep.  It comes along side our soul and when joy and soul connect, we know we are OK no matter what.  We can rest in the midst of all the demands we face or the hard labour that we endure.   So you might wonder how do we place soul joy alongside the gospel’s account of the resurrection which ends...

Waiting. Watching. Praying.  That is what Holy Week is about.  I just can’t bring myself to do anything that is celebratory or fun on these days, especially on Good Friday.  Even if the sun is shining, Good Friday always seems a sombre day to me.   It may be called “Good” – which is actually derived from “God’s” Friday, in the same way that “God be with you” became “good-bye.”  But though it is called “good,” God’s Friday always feels just like that – a day that I need to give to God, in worship, in prayer, in waiting.   But then...