A Child's Good Friday Challenge

A Child’s Good Friday Question

A reflection on Jesus’ crucifixion and death takes on new meaning when seen through the eyes of a child.

I know many pastors can identify with those award winning moments when after a beautiful service (at least in your mind), a child approaches you with a doozy of a question.Today was one such day. Two year old MJ already has us puzzled as to why he never uses the word iglesia [church], he calls the place we meet casa de Dios [house of God]. No one knows why.

Well today his grandmother took him to me and said to him, “MJ this is the best person to ask your question.” And I went, Uh Oh! (grooaaan). Apparently, something bothered this little fellow all morning, and he kept asking his grandma and her answer did not satisfy him. He wanted to know, ” Donde estas Jesus?”[Where is Jesus?]

Jesus in Your Heart?
Of course I wanted to tell him that. But come on, if a 2 year old is already smart enough to figure out that something was not right – either in what he heard me say, or the suspiciously empty cross, or said cross in which we drove nails at one particular point in the service. Do you think he is going to be satisfied with me telling him, “MJ darling, Jesus is missing but he’s in your heart baby”?

Truly Profound Theological Explanations
My late Professor in Contemporary Theology at UTCWI, Dr. Lewin Williams once said, you know are being truly profound when you can explain the most difficult theological assertions to a child and they understand. Today, I failed the test in profundity. I told MJ, that Jesus is with his father where his father is in heaven. I then made the suicidal error of asking if he understood. And MJ with eyes squinted up and forehead creased in concentration, shook his head. Oh dear. It might have been wiser to go with the ‘in your heart’ explanation.

An Inspiring Good Friday Service
So we adults might say, today’s service was rich and truly meaningful. It was a new experience for the congregation who shared in Rev. Richard Fairchild’s The Nails of the Cross.

I made slight modifications to the liturgy to include:
* Additional representative attributes for each nail
* Brief commentary on each nail and its representative sinfulness in our lives
* More Hymns
* Sharing stories – testimonies of the meaning of the day to us

I wonder how many MJ’s were in the congregation wondering, Where is Jesus? And this is no lighthearted question. This question has been pivotal to the several Christological Controversies. In expressing our faith claims about the person and work of Jesus the Christ we often assume that everyone understands the mystery of Jesus resurrection. Such a presumption, causes quite a problem when a child challenges us on an occasion such as Good Friday with the question, “Where is Jesus?”

Even youth and adults also ask the question but in a much more direct way, they mean – Where is Jesus – in my sufferings, my financial struggles, amidst my enemies, when I am hungry, lonely or sad. Tell me, where is Jesus?

And my less than profound answer [that failed the MJ test] would be, he is with the father wherever the father is and at the same time present with us in the Spirit going through our struggles with us. Even though he appears physically missing, trust he is with you in your heart. By faith, you shall see and know him.

Easter Blessings to you and your loved ones, and I pray you will see Jesus present and working in and around you. Tell others about him, that they might see him too.

Grace and Peace,
Marvia