If you want to know what you really believe, try explaining
it to preschoolers. Having to condense your most important story down to something
that is understandable, not too scary, and will hold the attention of a 4 year
old is a challenge for the best of us.
And it is a challenge that I face every Easter during
Preschool Chapel.
Last week I found myself explaining the cross and
resurrection once more. Over 100 pairs
of wide eyes listened as I started talking. “I want to tell you a story today
that has a scary part, but the scary part is in the middle, and if you can get
through the scary part with me, I promise there is a happy ending.” And then I launched into how wonderful Jesus
was, and how he taught everybody about how much God loved them. And that there
were some Bad Guys who didn’t like Jesus saying things like that, and so eventually
they (and I say this part very quietly and sadly, and their little ears still
catch every word I’m saying) killed him.
“But then, when things were their scariest and saddest, some
of Jesus’ best friends went to where he was buried. And he was gone!” Now it gets even trickier. How to explain the
resurrection to these children without accidentally describing ZombieJesus?
“And God brought him back to life to prove that love would
always, always win and Bad Guys would always, always lose. And that we don’t have to be scared ever
again, even during our scariest moments, because Christ has been there already
before us.”
I thought I had done okay in telling my most important story,
until a little boy on the front row piped up, “That story is CREEPY!” Yikes, had I brought ZombieJesus to life?
The more I think about it, though, Jesus’ story does have a
creepy edge to it. There was a lot more creepy stuff than I described to those
preschoolers. Sweat mixed with blood. Betrayal. An all-night trial. Whippings.
Crucifixion. Abandonment. Yes, creepy isn’t too far off as a descriptor.
Sometimes even the best of us will find ourselves having to
deal with the creepy side of life. Or death. And even when those dark and scary
times come, we can hold onto the truth of that very first Easter. That love
will always, always win, and we don’t have to be scared ever again, even during
our creepiest moments, because Christ has been there already before us.
