Sis wanted to buy a book at our little store today. It had cutesy pictures of animals all over and sweet illustrations inside. Of course our animal-loving child would want it. It was a book of nighttime prayers.
And why was I bothered? We buy books about people with a mommy and a daddy, which isn't our situation; we buy books featuring African Americans and Native Americans, neither of which is our cultural heritage; why did I feel weird buying a book that mentions God, who is not a part of our spiritual belief system?
And I'm not even sure it was primarily the God part that bothered me. I would just change that to spirit or universe. But how do I explain away "in Jesus's name I pray?" Sis is three and wouldn't get my academic differentiation of Jesus as prophet/messiah and Jesus as human teacher. Especially if we're praying--something we don't do--to him. But we do happy thoughts at night, which is like praying, and we are grateful for the world and the animals and our family. And we like to expose the kids to the "other."
It's just that the "other" isn't usually Jesus.
I bought the book, not wanting to be close-minded about the whole God/Jesus thing and especially because she was so enamored of the pictures. But it's a good thing that Sis can't read yet, because I made up most of it as I went along, though I kept to the themes of gratitude and love.
I can explain Christianity later.
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