“One summer night several years ago, two little girls were doing their best to prolong bedtime. Linnea, just 2, was looking out at the starry sky from her top bunk. Britta, who was in pre-school then, was using her feet to bounce her little sister’s mattress from the bottom bunk. Lazy chatter about their day led to an amazing expression of little creeds.
“Mommy, what do you think God looks like?” Linnea asked. I asked back, “What do you think God looks like?”
She said, “I think God shines like the stars in the night!” She sat up and stretched her hands with glee. What a wonderful image! Then Britta, my seasoned 3-year-old Sunday school student, expressed her opinion. She reached for her latest craft project and announced, “He does not! He’s on this piece of paper and you can punch him out and hang him up if you want to. See?”
Spiritual and practical, these little theologians inspired and challenged my own thoughts about God every day. Be sure to pay attention to the smallest of us—their perspective is a divine gift.
Today is the third Sunday in Easter. The readings are Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48. We remember today renewers of the church: Olavus Petri, priest, died 1552; Laurentius Petri, bishop of Uppsala, died 1573.
This message was adapted from “Turning Hearts Toward Holy Home” by Miriam “Mim” Campbell that appeared in the June 2009 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.