18 April 2011

telling children about the crucifixion

Leslie, at Thoughts from the Sheepfold, recently reposted a very helpful article by Dr. Elizabeth L. Windsor about children and the events of Holy Week. I highly recommend clicking either of those links to read the whole post, but I've summarized her points here.

  • Don't diminish the Easter story by skipping the crucifixion. It's better to acknowledge that bad things happen and that God is more powerful than evil. 
  • Don't dwell on the gore, but do acknowledge the pain. Try to avoid letting sensitive or visually-oriented children see disturbing images, but answer their questions briefly and honestly. Yes, crucifixion hurt. No, Jesus didn't die alone. His mother and his best friend were there with him (John 19:26). 
  • Do always follow references to the crucifixion with the joy of the resurrection. One way that Godly Play does this is quoted in my blog header: He died on the cross. That is very sad, but it is also wonderful, in an Easter kind of way. Now... he is everywhere, and in every time.
Johann Melchior Gutwein 1726 (public domain image)

2 comments:

  1. Deb Chitwood23 April, 2011 04:53

    Those are great suggestions! And I just love the phrase "wonderful, in an Easter kind of way"! Have a very blessed Easter weekend! Deb @ LivingMontessoriNow.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Storyteller23 April, 2011 07:23

    Thanks for the positive feedback, Deb! And a joyful Easter to you, too.

    ReplyDelete

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