Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Who lives in that house?

"Who lives in that house?", asked my five-year old, pointing a minaret lit up for Eid.
"God!", I answered, not wanting to get into the details of who's god it was.
"But that's not possible", said he. "God cannot live there."
"Why not?", I asked, bracing myself to give him a watered-down version of how all religions worship the same God, regardless of the architecture of the place in which they do so.
"Because", he said simply, placing his porgy hand on his heart. "God lives here."

How much nicer the world would be if everyone thought as he did.

_____
drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rayna - What a beautiful way to express that! Trust a son of yours to realise that the outer signs (minaret, church steeple, Star of David, etc.) do not matter. What matters is much, much more important than those symbols. Thanks for sharing this :-).

Cruella Collett said...

If everyone believed like he does, I probably wouldn't be as critical to religion in general. Or rather, I'd be able to understand it :)

Anonymous said...

What a lovely insight by your son.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Reminded by a very wise child. Isn't it the greatest?

Jacqueline Howett said...

Hi Rayna! It was a wonderful startling answer and the imagery for me with the little finger to the chest. Thanks for sharing this story. Its one that shall be remembered.

Jacqueline Howett Author of The Greek Seaman, a seafaring novel, Secret Passion of Twins, short story, and Amorphous Angelic, Selected Poems.

http://jacquelinehowett.blogspot.com

Natasha said...

@ Margot - it is beautiful, isn't it? And I have no idea where he got that idea from, because it was not from either parent, or from school.

@ Cruella - me too. If that is what religion is, I can live with it.

@ Fiona - beautiful, isn't it?

@ Debra - thank you.

@ Mary - absolutely. He was born wise, that one was.

@ Jacqueline - thank you for stopping by. That moment will be seared in my memory forever- one thumb in mouth, the other palm on his heart, sprouting words adults should be proud to utter.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Your son is very wise - most adults never figure that out!

Shalet Jimmy said...

Now a days Children are much mature than the grown ups.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I think you may be raising a natural theologian! What wonderful insight.

Oddyoddyo13 said...

Agreed! I wish the world would stick to what THEY believe-not upset over what others do.

kjmckendry said...

That's beautiful.

Meera said...

Such a simple thought said beautifully. Hope he remembers it as he grows up.

dipali said...

I love your son for this!

Natasha said...

@ Alex - kids are wiser than we give them credit for, I think.

@ Shalet - that they are. Maybe they always were.

@ Elizabeth - it is amazing, isn't it? Most adults spend years figuring out what he already knows.

@ Oddyoddyo13 - that is so beautifully put.

@ kmckendry - thanks.

@ Meera - I too hope so. Luckily, he's got into a stage when he thinks people who say nasty things about other religions are 'stoopid', so between the two thoughts, he should be okay.

@ dipali - you said it. Wish others were like him.

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