Amen

Wednesday, November 28

As Colin and I were having a pre-bedtime snuggle, he mentioned that he had Bible Class and talked about baby Jesus. I was taken by surprise to say the least. Coming from the States with the separation of church and state, I had not anticipated this part of the curriculum. After Colin was tucked into bed, I went immediately to find Liam. He too had Bible Class. Liam says they will have Bible Class every Wednesday. This week Liam talked with his class about “the stable where Jesus was born.” Liam was given a candy cane and his own “Young Readers Bible” today.

Doug and I were caught a tad off guard by Bible Class. Even though we may not have actively prepared the boys for this facet of their curriculum, in a way maybe our travels through Turkey have prepared them a tiny bit. We visited the House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus. And, we saw many images of Christ and Mary, like the mosaics in the Hagia Sophia, a colossal 6th century church that was converted into a mosque in the 15th century and ultimately into a museum in the 20th century. Doug and I discussed how we felt about this new facet of the boys’ curriculum. I guess we are cultural Christians. My grandfather was a Methodist minister. Doug grew up with one set of Catholic and one set of Methodist grandparents. We celebrate Christmas and Easter. While we are not regular church attendees, I believe we are spiritual. Liam and Colin attended a Jewish preschool, just traveled Turkey, Greece and Thailand. We discussed and compared Muslim, Christian and Buddhist teachings throughout our recent trip. I am learning along with the boys. So Doug and I have decided to view Bible Class in this same spirit - an intellectual and cultural endeavor to gain more understanding of their world. Liam and Colin can decide for themselves their beliefs as they grow up. Hopefully, they will continue to have open minds and hearts for all people.

As I type this entry, Colin lies on the floor next to me reading Liam’s new Bible. He just announced, “I learned the Ten Commandments.” Okay then, that’s all for today.