Letter to a 6-year Old Girl from God (Sort of...)

A six-year-old Scottish girl named Lulu wrote a letter to God. It was brief but to the point:


“To God, How did you get invented?”

Lulu's father is not a believer, but sends Lulu to a Scottish Church primary ("elementary") school. Rather than ignoring her letter or choosing to answer it himself, Lulu's father sent her letter to various church leaders-- the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Presbyterians, who sent no reply;and the Scottish Catholics, who sent a theologically complex reply. Thankfully, he also sent it to the Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican), Rowan Williams, who sent this sweet letter in reply:

"Dear Lulu,

Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –

‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.

Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.

But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’

And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off. I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.

+Archbishop Rowan"

If you're looking for a complex, tightly put-together apologetic, this is certainly not it. If you're looking for a theologically comprehensive exposition of the Gospel complete with atonement theories, this is not it. This is written to a 6-year old. It is simple and humble and filled with tenderness. It is warm and personal not abstract and argumentative. There is no shaming of the girl for her question or the phrasing of it or the presupposition behind it. The Archbishop "sees" the little girl and writes of a God who "sees" her too.
Maybe there is something to learn from this approach...

Story courtesy of http://www.glennpackiam.typepad.com/