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Sunday's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 14 2008
Innocent conversations with God
by DOGU ERGIL
I came across the memoirs of an elementary school teacher who had
saved the class assignments of her 9 and 10-year-old students. The
subject matter of the assignment was to write a short letter to God to
see how they could handle abstract issues. The assays are so
spontaneous and innocent that one regrets how we have lost that purity
of heart and mind together with the ability of direct communication
with the Sublime.
Considering how many intermediaries have appeared in our direct
contact with God and how beliefs have been contaminated with
ideologies of mundane character shaped by greed, I thought it would be
nice to remember how genuine we once were and how independent and free
our minds and hearts were.
With this we may be able to answer the ontological question Rachel
Dink, the wife of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, asked
in her eulogy to her dear husband and exemplary citizen of Turkey:
"How in the world have we turned innocent babies into murderers, my
brothers and sisters?"
Here are some of the children's letters addressed to God:
Dear God,
I never thought orange and purple would go together so well. But after
seeing what You did at sunset on Tuesday, I changed my mind. It was
awesome!
Dear God,
You kill people and create others in their place. Wouldn't it be
easier to keep the ones You have already created?
Dear God,
Cain would not have killed Abel if they had separate rooms of their
own. My mother did just that for me and my brother.
Dear God,
If You watch over me on Sunday, I will show You my new shoes.
Dear God,
It must be hard to love everyone on earth. We are four in the family
and I find it difficult to love every one of them.
Dear God,
Yesterday, our teacher told us what You do. Who does all that when You
are on vacation?
Dear God,
Do You really watch over all of us or are You pretending?
Dear God,
If dad speaks rude at home, would You not let him into Paradise?
Dear God,
Did You really create the giraffe that way or was it an accident?
Dear God,
Who is marking the boundaries around countries?
Dear God,
Did You really say, "Treat others the way you want them to treat you?"
If so, I will treat my sister better from now on.
Dear God,
I thank You for the baby brother You sent me. But there must be a
mistake because I prayed for a baby dog.
Dear God,
Can You send me a pony? I have never asked anything from You
before. Please check if You like.
Dear God,
I really want to grow up to be just like my father but without the
hair he has all over his body.
Dear God,
I liked Noah and David best among those who have served You.
Dear God,
One of our teachers said Edison invented electricity. Yet another said
that it was You. I am certain that Edison stole it from You.
Dear God,
Don't You worry about me. I look first to the right and later to the
left before crossing the street.
Dear God,
I sometimes think of You even when I do not pray.
I wish we were as sincere and honest as children in our dealings with
God and with humankind, which is said to have been created in the
image of the Creator, and did not pretend that we love them both more
than ourselves. There is a lot to learn from our children.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Dec 14 2008
Innocent conversations with God
by DOGU ERGIL
I came across the memoirs of an elementary school teacher who had
saved the class assignments of her 9 and 10-year-old students. The
subject matter of the assignment was to write a short letter to God to
see how they could handle abstract issues. The assays are so
spontaneous and innocent that one regrets how we have lost that purity
of heart and mind together with the ability of direct communication
with the Sublime.
Considering how many intermediaries have appeared in our direct
contact with God and how beliefs have been contaminated with
ideologies of mundane character shaped by greed, I thought it would be
nice to remember how genuine we once were and how independent and free
our minds and hearts were.
With this we may be able to answer the ontological question Rachel
Dink, the wife of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, asked
in her eulogy to her dear husband and exemplary citizen of Turkey:
"How in the world have we turned innocent babies into murderers, my
brothers and sisters?"
Here are some of the children's letters addressed to God:
Dear God,
I never thought orange and purple would go together so well. But after
seeing what You did at sunset on Tuesday, I changed my mind. It was
awesome!
Dear God,
You kill people and create others in their place. Wouldn't it be
easier to keep the ones You have already created?
Dear God,
Cain would not have killed Abel if they had separate rooms of their
own. My mother did just that for me and my brother.
Dear God,
If You watch over me on Sunday, I will show You my new shoes.
Dear God,
It must be hard to love everyone on earth. We are four in the family
and I find it difficult to love every one of them.
Dear God,
Yesterday, our teacher told us what You do. Who does all that when You
are on vacation?
Dear God,
Do You really watch over all of us or are You pretending?
Dear God,
If dad speaks rude at home, would You not let him into Paradise?
Dear God,
Did You really create the giraffe that way or was it an accident?
Dear God,
Who is marking the boundaries around countries?
Dear God,
Did You really say, "Treat others the way you want them to treat you?"
If so, I will treat my sister better from now on.
Dear God,
I thank You for the baby brother You sent me. But there must be a
mistake because I prayed for a baby dog.
Dear God,
Can You send me a pony? I have never asked anything from You
before. Please check if You like.
Dear God,
I really want to grow up to be just like my father but without the
hair he has all over his body.
Dear God,
I liked Noah and David best among those who have served You.
Dear God,
One of our teachers said Edison invented electricity. Yet another said
that it was You. I am certain that Edison stole it from You.
Dear God,
Don't You worry about me. I look first to the right and later to the
left before crossing the street.
Dear God,
I sometimes think of You even when I do not pray.
I wish we were as sincere and honest as children in our dealings with
God and with humankind, which is said to have been created in the
image of the Creator, and did not pretend that we love them both more
than ourselves. There is a lot to learn from our children.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress