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 Christmas is easy.
Christmas has a story we can understand and tell simply: the birth of a baby. The cast of characters is appealing, the small-town setting familiar. We can identify with Mary as she waits for the birth of her child; we can understand the stalwart Joseph as he does his best to provide for Mary's needs.
Best of all, the story has a happy ending. Mary's baby is safely born despite the difficulties. After the birth, they are visited by poor, adoring shepherds and generous, worshipping kings, all of whom wish them well.
How could we not love a happy ending like that?
Easter is different.
The Easter story has all kinds of things that are difficult to understand, much less explain to our children. Most of the characters are seriously flawed. The setting is tragic, the details brutal.
Who wants to explain to a child about the accusations, the trial, the sad progression of events leading to Jesus's crucifixion? How do we describe with sensitivity the suffering he endured? What do we say about the dark tomb, sealed shut with a stone as big as a man? How do we explain death? What words shall we use to describe resurrection?
The story of Easter, by itself, may be hard for a child to understand, but when it is told over time as a part of the whole story of God's dealings with us, the context helps to clarify the content. When we know more of the whole story, the Easter part of it becomes easier to understand.
How can we insure our children know the whole story?
Perhaps the best way is to follow the advice of the writer of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, who wrote, "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
The author was talking specifically about the responsibility of the whole community of faith, and particularly of parents, to instill in their children a knowledge of, and love for, God.
The way to do that, the author suggests, is to allow our faith to permeate even the smallest, most daily things we do, and to be deliberate about explaining our faith to our children on an everyday basis.
How easily we become so caught up in a hectic round of responsibility that we don't want to take time to initiate or allow the discussions and questions that nurture a child's faith!
Yet, if we are attentive to the opportunities, our daily round of duties and chores offer "teachable moments" -- times when talking with our children about God, telling them the story of God's love for us, is natural and comfortable.
Washing the dishes might become a chance to talk about "looking good" -- being clean on the outside but not on the inside, and the importance of being "clean" -- that is, free from sin -- on the inside, in our hearts.
A trip in the car could be a time to sing "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" together -- songs about Bible characters like Zacchaeus, or hymns like "Jesus Loves Me."
Family rituals at mealtime or bedtime offer opportunities to read and tell Bible stories as well as stories about people of faith, and to talk together about the questions your child has about those stories.
Some other ways to incorporate spiritual talk and training into everyday life might include these ideas:
- Remember that the more comfortable you are discussing spiritual things, the more comfortable your child will be listening and talking with you.
- Pay careful attention to your child's questions; often there is a "wondering" behind the question that leads naturally to a conversation about God.
- Think about the "basics" of faith -- the important things about God and faith your child needs to know and practice. How can you incorporate those things into your daily routine? For instance, if you consider an ongoing conversation with God (prayer) important, prayer should be an important part of your family's daily routine.
- Keep spiritual things simple and age appropriate. Your five year old doesn't need a detailed explanation about the politics of Jesus's arrest and appearance before Pilate, but your fifteen year old might be fascinated by that information.
- Have fun! Many of the stories Jesus told are pretty funny -- watch your eight year old trying to imagine a camel going through a needle's eye! Help your child discover the joy of a living, vital faith.
If we pay attention, if we are diligent about watching for the teachable moments, every day offers opportunities to tell a story, sing a song, or answer a question that will build a child's understanding of who God is, of God's great love for each of us, and of how God is at work in our lives.
Holly Schurter is wife to John and mom of eight, grandma of ten, and a volunteer with Hearts at Home on the publications team as well as the radio team. She works as a free-lance writer, and in her spare time likes to read, bake, and play in the garden.
Originally published on March 30, 1999 in The Pantagraph.
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