| Like little children |
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We were talking after a round of golf. Well, I call it golf; really we were just trying to hook and slice our way to the eighteenth in under ninety. I was telling Jim I had a column to write. “Write about my kids, then,” he said. He’s got three; Cory, and the twins, Ozzie and Kim. I stifled a yawn. “I’m not sure that’s the sort of thing...” But he was off; and I ought to warn you here; Jim’s a Christian. Actually, he’s a vicar too. “We had a sprawling garden when they were little,” he said; “all sorts of plants and weeds and things in it. There was a herb with black berries and we told them never ever pick one or eat one. It might be poisonous. “The twins were playing outside. Suddenly there was a howl. We heard Kim running to the house and scarcely pausing for breath she screamed: ‘Daddy-Ozzie’s-picked-a-black-berry-and-eaten-it-and-he’s going to die. Oh-dear-Lord-Jesus-don’t-let-him-die. It’s-all-right-daddy-I-just-prayed-to-Jesus.’ And, as quickly as the panic began, it ended. She turned round and went back to their game.” I waited for Jim to tell me it was a confirmed case of deadly nightshade or something. “Was it?” I asked. “I never checked,” he said. “I was too stunned by her faith...” I must have given him an odd look because he quickly added. “Oh, the wife dug it up. We burned it.” I sighed. Jim went on: “Then there was the time I was preparing a sermon from the Book of Revelation. The writer had an awesome vision of Jesus telling a church they were going to be persecuted. ‘Be faithful, to the point of death,’ he told them. And I was thinking – How can Jesus do that? How can he stand by and do nothing when he knows they’re about to suffer?” “A commotion at the door interrupted me. The twins rushed in. ‘Daddy, quick! Some boys are bullying Cory because he goes to Sunday school.’ I scrambled to the door and stopped short. I was thinking – I’ll wait; perhaps I’ll understand why Jesus did nothing.” “I waited for thirty seconds, but it felt like a year. Then I charged out to deal with the boys; but Cory was coming round the corner alone. He was pale. He had streaks of spittle on him but walked with a kind of dignity. And it wasn’t until the front door closed behind him he burst into tears and I wrapped my arms around him.” “He’d stood his ground. They’d taunted him, thrown stones and spat at him. ‘But I didn’t do what they did, daddy. In the end, they went away because I wouldn’t do anything.’” Personally, I was thinking Cory could have put up a bit more of a fight; given them a taste of their own medicine. But Jim said, “I was so proud of him, that day. He beat the bullies without becoming one himself.” We were both quiet for a moment before he said, ‘Another?’ and I thought he meant a beer; but he started another story. “The twins were playing upstairs. All at once I heard shouts and scuffling followed by a stampede of feet on the stairs, each one trying to reach me first. They accused one another of dastardly deeds and I prayed for the wisdom of Solomon. “Right, I said. Kim, you do to Ozzie what he did to you!” “Ozzie cringed. Kim looked confused then, very gently, gave him a token kick.” “OK Ozzie; you do to Kim what she did to you. Kim screeched and Ozzie pretended to pull her hair. Then they smiled and went back to play, seemingly satisfied that justice was done.” Jim looked at me. “Well?” I didn’t answer straight away. I was wondering why grown-ups can’t be as straightforward as kids. |
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