Believing Like a Child

It often happens that on Sunday afternoon I take a walk with a few of our children to a nearby cemetery. At first, simply to give both them and myself a chance to get some fresh air, but also because we enjoy reading what is written on the gravestones. That may seem like a somewhat morbid hobby, but you can imagine the fascinating conversations it can lead to. Boaz is in first grade and is already fairly good at sounding out the inscriptions on gravestones. Yesterday we walked past several graves where signs had been placed.

“Daddy, what does it say on these signs?”
“Well, you can read, so go ahead and read it.”
“No, Daddy, you tell me.”
“Well, it says that these graves will soon be cleared.”
“What does ‘cleared’ mean?”
“Then the remains of the people who are buried here are taken out so that other people can be buried here.”
“And what are they going to do with those remains?”
“Well, I don’t really know exactly. I think they’ll be destroyed.”
“But then how can God make those people alive again later?”
“Oh, no problem. God will find them again, all right.”
Boaz thinks for a moment and then says with a laugh:
“Cool, huh? God just puts them back together like a puzzle!”
“Yes, exactly,” I said. “You could put it that way.”

Conversations like that are quite instructive. For Boaz, of course, but especially for me.

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