Apr 1, 2011

The Theology of a Kindergartner


I did an audio interview with my five year old son Luke, on his understanding of the Christian faith. Here is a transcript of our interview.

Me: Luke, who made the world?
Luke: God
Me: Can you tell me what happened when God made the world?
Luke: He made grass, He made trees, and He made water, and He made animals, and He made dolphins, and He made every single fishy, and He made the sky, and He made birds, and He made people, and He made trees and grass.
Me: Were the people good? 
Luke: A little bit and then the devil turned into a snake and tricked them, that they could eat the apple and they got sent out of the garden.

Me: What is it called when people do bad things?
Luke: Sin.
Me: Is there anyway to stop sin?
Luke: Um . . . um.
Me: Do you sin?
Luke: Yes.
Me: Do I?
Luke: Yes.
Me: Well, how can we stop it?
Luke: By . . . um, fighting it
Me: Fighting it?
Luke: Yes.
Me: And if I try really really hard, I won't be a sinner anymore?
Luke: You still will be.
Me: Well, then who could stop it?
Luke: God.
Me: How would He do that?
Luke: By dying on the cross for us.
Me: Why did He need to do that?
Luke: To ... um ... take our sins away.
Me: How does that take away our sins?
Luke: Because He's powerful.
Me: Right, but why did He have to die? Can't He just forgive us?
Luke: Yes.
Me: Without dying?
Luke: But He forgived us and died.

Me: Did Jesus stay dead?
Luke: No. He came back alive.
Me: Where did He go after that?
Luke: To Heaven.
Me: What's He doing?
Luke: Watching us and . . . listening to us.
Me: Why?
Luke: Because He is watching over us.
Me: What do you mean listening to us? Does He like to listen to us?
Luke: Yes. When we speak to God.
Me: How do we do that?
Luke: By praying and singing songs about Him.
Me: You can talk to Him by singing songs?
Luke: Uh huh, singing songs about  Him.

Me: Why do we go to church?
Luke: To learn about God.
Me: Can't you learn about God at home?
Luke: Yes, in the Bible and you can read the Bible wherever you want.
Me: Then why do we need to go to church? What is different about going to church than reading the Bible at home?
Luke: There are more people at church than at home.

Me: Do we sometimes give at church?
Luke: Yes.
Me: What is that called?
Luke: Um . . . Giving to God.
Me: Offering?
Luke: Yes.
Me: What do you think they do with the money?
Luke: God takes it.
Me: Why would God need our money?
Luke: . . . I don't know.
Me: They use it to pay for the building and the lights and . . .
Luke: No! It's up in heaven when God gets it.
Me: The money?
Luke: Yeah.
Me: Why would He need money in heaven? The streets are made out of gold.
Luke: Because . . . the money is for the streets. 
Me: So, He uses our money to make more roads?
Luke: Yes.

Me: What should people who follow Jesus do when they see someone who is hurt?
Luke: Help them.
Me: What if we see someone who is homeless?
Luke: You give them a home.
Me: What if we don't have enough money to buy a new house for them.
Luke: Then we should chop down trees to make a little house for them. 
Me: But you would have to own the land that you put the house on. What could we do instead of giving them a house?
Luke: We could let them stay at our house.
Me: For how long?
Luke: Until they have enough money to buy a home.

Me: If you are a follower of Jesus and someone is mean to you, what should you do?
Luke: If you don't like what they are saying then just walk away.
Me: What if they hit you?
Luke: Then just ask them to stop.
Me: What if they don't?
Luke: Then go get a grownup.
Me: What if they are hurting someone else?
Luke: Then I would stop them.

Me: What do you think the worst sin is?
Luke: To kill.
Me: Why?
Luke: Because that's very very very bad. 
Me: Why is it worse than lying?
Luke: Because killing is making people die.

Me: Why should we read the Bible?
Luke: To learn more about God.
Me: Why do we need to learn more about God?
Luke: 'Cause if you don't know much about Him, then read the Bible.
Me: What if someone doesn't want to know about God?
Luke: Then you just . . . um . . . tell them about God.
Me: Why do we need to tell them?
Luke: Because if they don't know about God and they don't know about any other gods, then tell them about our God.
Me: What if they do know about other gods? should we still tell them about our God.
Luke: Yes.
Me: Why?
Luke: Because, there gods are fake and our God is real!

Thanks for doing the interview buddy.

6 comments:

Angie Battle said...

Luke has a better theology than many...

Thank you for posting this and being such a good daddy to raise your child to understand the Gospel.

:-)

Susan L said...

This is so awesome, you and Debbie do such a wonderful job with your kids.

Unknown said...

My favorite part is when Luke said, "Because, there gods are fake and our God is real".

Melissa & Andrew McQuillen said...

My absolute favorite is that God takes our money to make more roads. :)

So, a friend of mine went to the IHOP convention a few months ago. A speaker was talking about her son and how he is a fighter, a warrior. He often gets into fights on the playground and she had been trying to find a way to encourage the heart behind helping people and wanting to fight for good reasons, but not actually hitting or hurting others. So one day they were walking and she said, "you know, Jesus is a warrior." And her son said, "really?" and became really thoughtful. She thought, yes! Maybe this will help him connect more with Christ and help me channel the right parts of his personality. But then her son looked at her, real serious and said, "I will fight him."

HA! :)

One who has been changed said...

Luke is one great little guy, a real blessing.

MorgHarpNich.com said...

That is awesome. "out of the mouth of babes," as my mother would say...kids responses to biblical principles never cease to me - there's nothing like a child-like faith.

Morgan