A Five-Year-Old Theologian

As David waited expectantly for my wise answer, I scrambled to think quickly but truthfully.

I was preparing dinner one afternoon, when five-year old David came running up to me with a serious look on his face. He was always full of energy and mischief but he also had a delightful spirituality that was not taught but inborn. Once again, David had another theological question for me,

“Mum, does Mary live in my heart?”

I did some fast thinking. Heaven is within us and Mary is in heaven, I thought. So I answered,

“Yes sweetie, Mary is in your heart.”

David sighed and concluded the discussion,“I guess that means that God is in my feet.”

I laughed silently to myself and thought that was a very theologically correct concept since God is our foundation. I had no idea what went on in David’s head after that answer but I soon found out.

It was about a week later, when all the kids who were old enough (and one who wasn’t really old enough), were playing hide and go seek.

When David pinched his toe with a closet door he ran up to me again, this time he was sobbing. Although I tried to calm him down, while he sat on my knee, he wouldn’t stop crying. Finally I tried to reason with him,

“David, you are fine. Look there isn’t even any blood. There will be just a little bruise.”

“I know”, he cried, ”but Jesus is in there!!”