Honesty and Directness

This is not one of my favorite gospel readings and it seems to me a real challenge to preach on!

You know the story of King Herod’s banquet, all the guests, and the daughter dancing in a manner that is usually portrayed as provocative, especially in operas such as Salomé, which can be pretty graphic.  Most versions of that opera display the severed head of John the Baptist.  But the fact is that our gospel describes her as a ‘girl.’  The original Greek word used indicates a young girl, a child.  So some of those interpretations are off.  But the fact is that the daughter, a girl, is a pawn of her mother in the story.  And likely had no idea what she was asking for when she requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter!  Kids are very trusting and ascribe the best attributes to everyone.  They are so honest and direct.  So rather than dwelling on this difficult and gruesome story, I want to use the daughter, being used as a pawn of her mother, and the forthright nature of children, to talk about children and how they are instructive for us in our religious lives.

How many of us, Americans at least, remember the Art Linkletter Show?  I think it was called, ‘Kids say the Darnedest Things!’  He turned it into a book as well.  It had a great following and really showed insight into children’s minds and thoughts.  He would interview kids and get the most forthright and direct answers.  It was always very entertaining.  Likewise there are amusing and legendary things kids have said in church, about church.

For example, the Lord’s Prayer has been recited as, ‘Our Father who does art in heaven, Harold be thy name, thy kingdom come, I will be done with dressings made in heaven.  Give us our jelly bread and forgive us our trash baskets…’  Or, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, how didja know my name?‘  And the little girl who thought she was praying for her little sister to get into trouble as she learned, ‘lead a snot into temptation.’  Or the kid saying the Creed, ‘…He suffered under a bunch of violets!’ instead of Pontius Pilate.  Kids hear what they know and trust.

Then there was the little boy who was overheard praying, ‘Lord, if You can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it.  I’m having a really good time like I am!‘  And you know about the little girl in church for the first time who, on seeing the ushers pass the offering plate said loudly as it came by her parents, ‘Don’t pay for me Daddy, I’m under five.‘  Then there was the little girl who became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on.  Finally she leaned over to her mother and whispered, ‘Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?’

Speaking of sermons there was the preacher’s kid who was watching his father write a sermon and asked , ‘How do you know what to say?‘  The father replied, ‘Why, God tells me.’  And the kid responded ‘Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?‘  Or the little girl who noticed that her priest father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon, and then asked him, why.  He responded, ‘Well honey, I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.‘  ‘Well then, how come He doesn’t do it?’ she queried.  And then there was the mother who was giving instruction to her three children as she sent them into Sunday school, ‘And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?’  Her son quickly responded, ‘Because people are sleeping!’

And then there is Sunday school when the teacher instructed the kids to write a letter to God on Sunday afternoon — one read ‘Dear God, We had a good time in church today.  Wish you could have been there.’  Or Johnny who stayed home from church with a baby sitter on Palm Sunday because of a sore throat.  When the family returned home carrying palm branches he asked what they were for.  ‘People held them over Jesus’ head as he walked by’ they informed him.  ‘Wouldn’t you know it,’ the boy fumed.  ‘The one Sunday I don’t go and He shows up!’

Or in the Sunday school class  when the teacher said, ‘If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church…would that get me into heaven?’ ‘No!’ the children all answered.  ‘If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?’  Again, the answer was ‘No!’  ‘Well then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?’  Again, ‘No!’  ‘Well then, how can I get into heaven?’ the teacher queried.  A voice from the back of the room shouted, ‘YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!’

And my favorite.  The pastor noticed little Mary staring at the large plaque in the foyer of the church.  It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.  The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside her and said quietly, ‘Good morning, Mary.’  ‘Good morning,’ replied the young girl, still focused on the plaque, and then asked, ‘What is this?’  ‘Well, dear, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.’  Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.  Her voice was trembling and barely audible when she asked, ‘Which service, the 8 o’clock or the 10 o’clock?’

Kids have a different perspective.  Their queries are sincere.  Their reactions and responses are unguarded, honest, direct.  Kids don’t see strife or conflict or racism until they are taught.  A number of years ago there was a study done in Northern Ireland about the perceptions of kids regarding the Protestant Catholic conflict that inflicted great strife on that area for decades.  The study showed that kids didn’t develop prejudices until about the age of seven or eight.  And they were taught it.  You may remember the song from South Pacific, ‘You’ve got to be carefully taught.’  Young kids are color blind.  Just watch young children play.  Everybody is their friend.  They laugh and jump and yell unabashedly.  And their eyes twinkle with love and joy.

What happens that we lose that?  Or that some of us lose that?  Nuances and strategies and judgment and calculating are adult tenets, not children’s.  As is evil. 

‘King Herod heard of Jesus and his disciples, for his name had become known…’  For a reason: Jesus demonstrated, showed, lived, pure love, honesty and directness.  He criticized bad behavior but not the person.  There is a reason that Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me.’  And when the disciples asked him ‘who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’  that He answered, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’

Kids are honest and forthright and direct.  And joyful.  And loving.  I was in Virginia last week and my partner’s family visited.  His niece, her husband and their three year old son stayed in our home for three days.  The love, the joy, the laughter, the smiles that emanated from that time with him is instructive for us.  And the hugs he gave!  You all will have similar examples in your lives.  Let’s live into those and model such love.

When Johnny cried in the back of the car on the way home from the baptism service, and his father asked him what was wrong, he replied, ‘The priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.’  Do we model a Christian home?

Do we model children, the compassion of Jesus, the love of God?  Let us strive to live into that.  Jesus’ name had become known, and is still known for a reason.  A very good reason!

Amen.