A 10-Year-Old's Response to the 4 Spiritual Laws

My first sketch of "the bridge" in 15 years!

During my first semester of college I was taught the "4 Spiritual Laws" at a nearby church and campus ministry.  I couldn't believe how much sense it made! Why hadn't I seen this before?!  It was so logical.

Being a Jesus-follower AND rule-follower, here were 4 spiritual rules about salvation that someone had culled from the Bible that I could not only believe in but easily explain to others.  And I did for years, until...

My internal dissonance grew louder.  This was experienced as confusion, anger, and not wanting to go to church or sing which led to guilt for feeling that way at all.  Of course being a rule-follower and "good girl," I forced myself to go (although I no longer sang or shared this "Good News" with anyone).  At the time I had no answer as to "why," but I started noticing something else. 

My body kept trying to tell my mind something. Gone was the excitement my rational mind had that first year of college and the following eight years.  Whenever singing, explaining or hearing this theology, I felt a growing tension in my chest, pit in my stomach, and increase in headaches.  Unbeknownst to me, the "Good News" wasn't being recognized as good by other parts of me (this is important since we're to love God with not only mind, but heart and body as well).  

It took me a long time to discern what was going on for there were several issues related to church and Christianity that God was intent on bringing to the surface to heal.  Parts of me are still in this healing process.

Knowing my kids will be presented with this same theology at some point, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to get my young daughter's response to the 4 Spiritual Laws and the bridge drawing that goes along with it (seen above).  I also tend to ask my kids their point-of-view when it comes to difficult theological concepts because they don't have the theological/church baggage I do and they know they have permission to offer an honest opinion.  

After school one day I said to her, "Hey, I want to show you something that I was taught and get your opinion on it."  After looking and listening to me talk about sinful humanity, a perfect God, sin separating us from this perfect God, and the cross as the bridge, here's what she said:

"That's a clever drawing!  BUT, here's the problem (she pointed to the sides), the starting place is all wrong."  

I asked her to say more.

"Well, that's only the starting place through a human's eyes, it's not the starting place through God's.  It's like when I'm all anxious, I think no one understands me and I'm completely alone, but the reality is, I'm not.  Same with God."  
 
Wow.  And there you have it folks.

That's why Jesus said to become like a child if you want to enter (or even recognize) the Kingdom!  Leave it to a child to cut through all the theological, rational laws and offer a simple but profound apologetic. God is with us...period.  And as my 10-year-old daughter went onto tell me, "Not seeing this is the beginning of 'missing the mark.'"  

It's taken me years to get back to this starting point!  Her intuitive theology resonates with that of King David in Psalm 139 (who needed no bridge for he knew God to be everywhere he was and went, inescapable within and without!).  Whether we see it or not, God, the Ever-Present Love, is with us.  Jesus the Christ and "the old rugged cross" is this message in vivid color! 
 
May God give us the eyes of a child.

• What if you took to heart & mind Jesus' imperative of becoming like a child and entered Triduum (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday) with childlike eyes? What might you see (or not see)?  What would your emotional and physical reactions be to each event ?  How might those responses speak to your adult heart & mind?

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