A story about Easter

This is indeed a story about Easter, but more importantly, it's a story about the time that my three-year-old schooled me in Theology.

Last week, Owen came home from school his last day before spring break (and Easter) wearing a cross that he had made at school. He told me that he made the cross because of Jesus. I asked him if they had talked about the Jesus and the cross during school and he told me that they had. He proceeded to tell me, in detail, about the Passion as it was explained to him.

He said:

"The people told Jesus that he would have to die. They made him carry a heavy cross up a ramp." (Owen is OBSESSED with ramps- so I think that he may have added that part) "Then they nailed his hands and feet to his cross and made him hang there until he died. Then they stuck a stick in his side to make sure that he was dead. Then the people said, 'Hmm, let's go play a game."

The whole time that he was telling me this, I was nodding along with him and was secretly a little bit shocked with how many details he was recounting... Until he got to the part about the game... I stopped him and I said, "Owen! The people didn't play games, they were sad. Jesus' death was a very sad thing.

He was adament that, "the people played a game!" and that that was what Mrs. Hughes had said. I finally stopped arguing with him about it, and I was a little embarassed that he had all of these details right and then he had added that in there.

That night, we were with Sara and Todd and I was telling them about Owen's take on the Passion and they got a kick out of it. We kept trying to think of how he came up with that detail.

The next day, Todd went to work and was telling the story to another pharmacist that he works with- who also had a laugh. She enjoyed the story so much that she told a psychiatrist that she rounds with the story. He listened to the story and responded by telling her that Owen was correct.

What??

He explained that "the people" did indeed "play games" after Jesus was crucified... They gambled with dice, or "cast lots" to see who got Jesus' clothes.

After being reminded of this fact, we all remembered hearing about this "casting lots" business- but none of us were thinking of that detail when we heard Owen tell the story.

So yeah, that's the story of how my three-year-old schooled five educated, Christian adults in Theology.

It never ceases to amaze me how much I can learn from my children.