A Child Contemplates a Picture of Jesus In Sunday School

Annelise Hansen

Jesus
walks very slowly so his long robe won’t trip him, and stays on the path so the white hem keeps out of the mud. His pillow is soft so his long hair won’t tangle, and he always washes his face. At the end of the day he tells the crowd to go away, so he can get his sleep and keep the dark rings from his eyes.

Jesus
likes his friends, and gives them a smile in the morning. It makes him sad to be persecuted – he sighs and lifts his hands up to heaven, whenever those men use their knife-like words to murder him. He promises eternal life to people with howling vaccuums in their hearts, and they believe him when they see how nice he is, and how the little children like to hold his hand, and the rich men come to him with questions.

Jesus
tells riddles and little stories. We take them home in crossword puzzles. He fed a crowd of thousands with just five graham crackers. The food was plain and a little too sweet, the drink was a little weak. We go home and think of Jesus, and how he was such a good sharer.

We like thinking about Jesus. He was very nice. But it’s better to be home – outside where Mother Nature gives trees to climb and ravines for shouting, and coyotes that howl when the fireflies go out. Mommy learned to grill from the man on TV with big muscles and power in his voice. Grilled steak is better than graham crackers. Daddy drinks wine with dinner, and my single sip stays warm in my throat all evening. The strong TV man stays in my memory, too, and I wish I could meet him. Wine tastes a little like grape juice. We drank grape juice at church, but I forgot how it tasted until now.

My bedtime story is good. The pirate stole some things, which isn’t nice, but I like the way he sails in the thunderstorm, and the way his men obey him, even if he says jump overboard. I wish I could find a buried treasure. Mommy shuts the book and whispers, “Goodnight. Jesus loves you.” I love him too, but I don’t respond right now. In my dreams I am already on my ship.