Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 19, 29 October 1943, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

-♦ — OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE (Supplied by the Whakatane Ministers' Association).

YOUR ANSWER COUNTS Children's questions give parents and teiiehers an opportunity to teach truth and create right attitudes. "Did. Hitler and Vaseline start the war., dad?" This question from a serious-eyed seven year old across the grown-up pleasantries of a friendly dinner table. "'Vaseline" was quite an original name for the lenowned Mussolini and the hoy's father, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye, said, "Call him Mussolini, old man." But "Mussolini" or "Vaseline" were all one to Max, who repeated his * question with energy, and received his lather's thoughtful attention. "Well, no, Max, lots of other peo« pic helped to start it.' Max was quiet for a second and then asked, "Are Hitler and Vaseline bad. men, Dad?" Dad was silent. He was not prepared to put his small son oil" with a jocular reply. He knew that what he told him would be. repeated' as gospel. "Hitler and Mussolini are greedy and selfish like lots of other people, Max, so Km afraid we can't call them good men." • "Dad, does Cod love Hitler and Vaseline?'" Here was a seven year old who was making the eating of vegetables a dreadful agony, probing the depth of truth about God and man. His father was a Christian thinker whe lived in the world of the present, He was prepared to be honest witli his small son. "Yes, Max, God loves Hitler ant Mussolini." [ Max's eyes spoke his amazement and his father continued, "Dc Mummy and Dad love you all th< time,, Max?" Max threw a meaning ful glance at his mother and said "Yes." "Even when you arc naughty?' (which was not infrequent). Ma: nodded. "Well, old man," said hi Dad, "God loves people,'even Hit ler and Mussolini, all the time, bu He's, terribly sad when they are. bad Max, looking very serious, turnei his attention to the despised, vegetables. The little fellow had ]ai« bare before, us the corporate sin o man, and "Dad" had revealed t him an eternal truth about God. The leader of the kindergarte

had the children fathered about her —sixty active, restless little creatures, held quiet for the present by the colourful pictures boini* shown to them. "Brothers and Sisters of Other Lands," was the title, and pictures of Indian. African, Dutch and Chinese boys and girls called .forth interested questions from the children. A Japanese girl carrying her small brother was displayed. "Where do these children live?" asked, the leader, but no one could answer. "They live in Japan," said the leader, and after an interested silence, a .small child volunteered, "My Daddy is fighting the Japanese." Another small boy added questioningly, "Hut not the little babies?" Another live, year old asked gravely, "Docs Jesus love the Japan boys and girls?" "Yes, Bobby," replied the leader, "Jesus loves all children, and He wants us to love them too." Then she asked all the tiny tots to close their eyes while she prayed to God li help children everywhere to have kind thoughts of one another. The Junior Class (ages 10-11 years) were, listening to a lesson on "Learning to Tray for our Enemies," and the class had. heard the teaching of Jesus, and of Christ's example while on the Cross, when lie prayed, "Father, forgive them." One boy asked, "Do you mean we ought to pray for the Germans?" "Yes," replied the teacher. The class looked incredulous, and to help them the teacher continued, "Can you think of a prayer we might pray for the German people?" Quick as a flash came the answer from the class, "That they will nil be killed." "Do you think that is what Christ , would have prayed?" asked the teacher. "Can His followers, pray such a prayer?" was the teacher's next : question. The group decided that ' they could not, and. with their tea- - cher began, to frame a prayer that t breathed the spirit of Christian for- ' given ess and love. 1 Such is the task of the Christian - Church in the midst of world-wide 1 hatred, and distrust, to proclaim f through Christian parents and tcach- ) crs, these eternal truths of our faith - -the Fatherhood of Go:l and the n brotherhood of man.