Witnesses

Gospel Luke 24:35-48

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

They were still talking about all this when he himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

My granddaughter often picks up a question or situation from somewhere that she likes to stew over for a bit. The questions 'why....?' are something to treasure and can come thick and fast. Often discussed in the car, or the front bench of church as we are usually impossibly early. 

 Which is wonderful as, like many six year olds, she now has quite an incisive, theological mind. 

Her latest quandary was about Father Christmas and Jesus. Can you believe in both and if you stop believing in one can you still believe in the other? 

 Being only six, I really wanted to leave this in her backyard. She knew that some people didn't believe in Jesus. She knew that some people didn't believe in Fr Christmas. 

We talked about what impact believing in either/both of them made on people's lives and when or why would you have to choose. 

After some discussion about faith and belief - this is her thesis - 


People have to be asleep to 'see' Father Christmas, 
but you have to be awake to 'see' Jesus. 



Enough said...

wordinthehand2015

Comments

Keith - Circle Blue said…
Wonderful!

Yes, enough said.
19 April 2015 at 16:16
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