Theology 101

E's nativity play last week, as reported by Marmot Dad:

"OK little Jesus, it's time to put on your swaddling clothes. You're just the funniest little savior. Now, you need to wear your swaddling clothes to be a good example to all the other babies."

M has her own issues regarding the Holy Family. She insists that Joseph, not God, is the father of Jesus. "Well, Mommy," she explained (patiently, and speaking slowly, for Mommies of somewhat dim intelligence), "the people who are with the baby are the parents. So Mary and Joseph are Jesus's parents. Joseph is his real father. Heavenly Father is just his extra father." Heck, it makes sense to me.

Finally, E got a little ribbon at church a couple of weeks ago that said "I am a Child of God." She loved it and wore it to preschool the next day, although once we got to school she asked me a few times if she ought to wear it into the school. She was afraid that maybe the people at school didn't go to church or believe in Heavenly Father. I assured her that they probably did. But after school we stopped at the city rec center to sign up for swimming lessons and she took it off then (for the same reasons). (Although, let the record show that she had no qualms about asking the kid sitting in the entryway who his favorite princess was. Sure, she'll proselytize for Disney but not for God.) Anyway, I suggested that it would be just fine to wear her ribbon even around people who didn't go to church or whatever, and then if they asked her about she could tell them what it meant and that she went to church etc. etc. etc. Her eyes lit up as she suddenly understood: "like a missionary!" Then she took it one step farther: "When we get home, I'll put on my ribbon, and we can walk to the end of the road, and if I meet anyone who doesn't believe in Heavenly Father I'll tell them about him! I'll be a missionary to the end of the road!" 

(Some of us feel as if perhaps we were missionaries to/at the end of the road at one time.) 

Alas, when we got home and went to the end of the road no one was to be seen, believer or infidel.