I’ve been mulling over the current scandals in the Roman Catholic Church and thinking how I would explain it to my seven year old in a simple way. Sometimes when you think about how a child would view the situation, then the solution becomes more obvious.
Story
Once upon a time there were millions of people who love God. They thought that they could only get close to him if they joined a club. The club leader said that he and his helpers were the only ones who knew how to get close to God. And in fact when they spoke it was God speaking.
People enjoyed some of the activities in the club, and didn’t enjoy some others, but they had been told it all helped get close to God, so they carried on.
It turned out that that some of the helpers were hurting the children in the club and the leader and the helpers told the children to stay quiet about it, or they couldn’t be part of the club, couldn’t get close to God and couldn’t go to heaven. The helpers were still allowed to be in the club too, and some of them kept hurting the children. This went on and on, until now when some of the secrets have started to come out.
Do you think that the leader and his helpers are really doing what God wants?
So why are people still in the club when things like this happen?
They have been told since they were little that this club is the only way to show their love for God, and they do genuinely love him, they’ve just got mixed up and think that if they criticise the club they are criticising God. And they really do want to go to heaven and get close to God.
What would you do to help these people, my daughter?
Well Mum how about we tell them:
- God is not the club, he looks at what’s in our heart, not what club we’re in.
- This club sounds like it has gone a bit wrong. Shall we think of new ways to show our love for God, that aren’t centuries old?
- God wants us to protect children so we could love God by protecting the children.
- The club is not the only way to get close to God, you can get close to God by praying and singing wherever you are and in your own words!
- If you like some of the church rituals, do them at home, bless bread and wine yourself and drink/eat in God’s name.
Would that work, Mum?
I don’t know shall we ask other people what they think?
