INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS

Last Sunday I was moved to remark to a friend that I had found the fellowship of Saturday evening and the Worship of Sunday morning incredibly uplifting.

The Family service was particularly inspiring because of the involvement of our young people and the interaction of all who gathered, even our visitors, Damon and Bruce.

You know, our children have a deeper wisdom than we sometimes give them credit for? The following story about a child and his pastor, however, had me considering the types of misunderstanding that we need to be careful to avoid.

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small Australian flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, ‘Good morning Alex.’

‘Good morning Pastor,’ he replied, still focused on the plaque. ‘Pastor, what is this? ‘

The pastor said, ‘Well son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.’

Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked,

‘Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?’

Quite seriously, his words gave me reason to consider the way in which our use of language can sometimes lead to misunderstanding. I thank God for parents and Grandparents who take time to really listen and explain and correct these misunderstandings.

Many Blessings

Rev Shan