I got to hang out with about 30 kids at Vacation Bible School last week. Our children’s minister, Annie Taylor, invited the kids to do a little Q&A with the pastor. I didn’t know we were going to do that, so I braced myself for the better-than-average chance the questions might stump me.
Question 1: How old are you?
Me: Oh, great question! How old do you think I am?
Response: Uh… 42!
Me: Thank you very much! I’ll take it.
Question 2: What’s your favorite animal?
Me: I really love my dog.
Question 3: What’s your favorite animal that’s not your pet?
Me: Hmm … I like monkeys. Do you?
Question 4: What’s your favorite animal that lives in the ocean?
Me: Oh, wow! That’s a hard one. I’d have to say dolphins. Yeah, I like dolphins.
What’s cool about these questions is that kids just want to know about you. I’ve been a part of many Q&As with adults, where the questions are more like, what do you think about the end times? What theory of atonement to ascribe to? Where did you go to seminary? Or, the classic, why do you think bad things happen to good people? All good questions, but different, you know? Maybe because I’m a pastor, and it sort of comes with the territory, adults tend to ask more theological and abstract questions.
Kids are different. Just an observation here: All the children in VBS knew I was “Pastor” Gregg, but even then, they could care less about my theological creds. They wanted to know about me. And they wanted to see if I liked the same things they liked. Maybe deep down, they were looking for a relationship built on common ground. If he likes what I like, we can be friends!
That might be it. Children seem a little more interested in (and comfortable) building relationships. They’re not looking for things to divide you from them. Very naturally, they’re just looking to know you and wanting you to know them so we can be friends.
I guess that’s one reason Jesus says, “Let the children come to me,” and then lets us in on a little secret — people like these little children belong to God’s kingdom. He even suggests in another place that conversion is becoming like a little child.
What a beautiful thing!
Much love to you, my friends,
Pastor Gregg
P.S. Oh, and by the way, did you know you can now follow Park on Instagram? Follow us and get new content on our Instagram feed: @ParkAveChurch. Shout out to Katie Williamson for making this happen!
