Koans And Miracles
Children's Resources
Teaching The Mystery Of God To Children
A Book Of Clues
Ambiguity and unanswerable questions abound in this way of teaching. In this chapter we will consider some of these.
A koan is a mystery without any answer. It is affirming the words of Isaiah 55:8: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways." We are use to logical, rational thinking but there are mysteries in life without any answer. We will never know the complete answer to some questions.
Many times our teaching in the church seems to be a concentrated attack on the lost realms of wonder and terror and ambiguity. But how can we explore the mysteries of God without coming up against these things? Skirting facing these issues only diminishes faith; for just to explore the unanswerable affirms our life. The seeking itself is fulfilling and not just what is sought. We are recognizing a deep yearning to question and explore -- to imagine beyond what we can see -- to be open to the magical in the everyday. Living your life believing in mysteries and miracles makes life an adventure.
So how do we teach? Our teaching is mostly showing what has been done and felt and experienced before, telling our stories over and over. We don't cease from doing this but our purpose is not so that they can be copied exactly but as a foundation and bedrock for new experiences. Can we prepare a place to welcome, to receive, and to encourage new exploration in the spiritual realm -- even in our Sunday school rooms? All that has preceded us is available as a foundation -- a reference point. These are our stories about God and I cannot overemphasize the importance of having this foundation. The natural imagination of children needs to be fed with images that have the possibilities of becoming spontaneous expressions of insight about God.
To move from the narrow path of "correct answers" and reciting of past explanations, give your students this assignment:
ï¾¥
Write three questions for which you think there are no answers.
ï¾¥
Gather the questions and mix them up.
ï¾¥
Distribute. Each student tries to answer the questions he/she received in the swap.
Afterward consider: There are some questions we will never answer. We just live with the question. Sometimes, much later, an answer or at least an understanding of the question may surface. In archeology sometimes things long buried in the earth will surface, will just wick up, giving hints of a hidden culture. Approach these questions in the same mind set. Just let them work deep inside you.
Some of our churches have been guilty of constricting us in a culture with little room for ambiguity. We trivialize by reducing these enigmas to rational explanations. God is not a scientific explanation. Annie Dillard asks: "Does anyone have the foggiest idea of what sort of power we so blithely invoke?" We seek to prepare the minds of our students to how vast this understanding is.
In the light of this, let's look at miracles. What about miracles and the stories of miracles in the Bible? We do not have to go far in any major religion to run up against miracles. One of our tasks is to help children appreciate that which cannot be explained. Anthony de Mello says, "We are so enamored of the truth of history that we miss the truth of mystery."
It is important if we are trying to teach a child about miracles that we are open to believing in them, too. Often we want to explain the miracle away. Yet stories of miracles are keys to our faith. We, as teachers, need to foster our own sense of wrestling with what is hard to understand and be willing to surrender to the mysteries of God that we don't understand. We need to be open to the questions and not jump in with pat answers. Children seem more ready to accept a story at face value than we are. Again, they can be our teachers.
Our world is becoming more and more pluralistic. Other religions have broken in upon all but the most remote and sheltered communities. Other faiths have their own miracle stories. Our children may hear the Hanukkah story from the Jewish tradition, of the miracle of the flask of oil miraculously lasting for eight days, or the miracles from the Muslim belief that the Arabic Quran that exists today contains substantially the same Arabic that was transmitted to Mohammed and many more miracles from other cultures and religions. In considering these it is important for families of faith and our task as teachers to ensure children have a solid grounding in their own religion but at the same time not to make judgments about others. No easy task.
Teaching children that God created different nations, faiths, and cultures helps children learn respect for the miracles and stories of other faiths. We are all attempting to explain the great mysteries and wonders we see. There is and always has been a lot about the world we live in that doesn't make logical sense. Can we teach children to appreciate what can't be explained? If we are teaching in the church, chances are our particular church and its beliefs are, for us, the avenues to God and love. We try constantly to demonstrate this but also live with respect for another's point of view. There is never a need of violence over differences. In a nutshell, we want children to believe in the miracle stories of our religion, warn them against believing in false ones, and show respect for those of other faiths. Often the best way is simply to tell our stories and let them work their own power.
Sometimes life requires us to suspend belief. The world may be quite different from what we believe it to be. Truth is not only historical but mystical as well.
In thinking about miracles there is a danger that we are implying that we need to have a sky-rending revelation like Paul experienced on the road to Damascus to have a God encounter. Something dramatic -- miraculous -- outside the normal realm. This is not so. Many God-encounters are brief illuminating moments, tiny daily miracles, and these are emphasized in this book.
But we don't want to be guilty of the other extreme either -- thinking that dramatic miracles do not continue to happen. Pattie Mattozzi, an artist and writer living in Texas, allowed me to share her story with you. This story, which until now she only shared with a few persons, happened when she was a child. In her words:
While living in Florida in Key Biscayne, I became seriously ill with polio at the age of five. Walking home from kindergarten I noticed I was having difficulty breathing. I could hardly walk. I was fortunate to arrive home safely but immediately collapsed on my bed with a high fever. I was delirious for three days and during that time was transferred to several hospitals in the greater Miami area. The diagnosis was polio. After my fever and severe headaches subsided I was weakened and paralyzed. I could use my arms but my legs wouldn't move. I was sent to the Children's Variety Hospital and remained there for almost a year. I needed constant care and attention as well as physical therapy. I remained cheerful throughout the ordeal even though I was no longer in contact with my family. I was placed in isolation for a considerable amount of time. Many children were in serious condition and required the assistance of iron lungs to aid in their breathing. The noise from the machines made it difficult to sleep at night.
Prior to my illness I had attended Sunday school every week and although I was small I had great faith. When I was taught of Jesus, I was absolutely delighted to know that someone as loving and fine as he, existed. Interiorly I had a supernatural confidence, a feeling of "well being" and security. I was amazed at his miracles, his love and kindness.
The weeks turned into months. My physician no longer had words of encouragement. On several occasions, I was placed on the floor with the entire staff watching to see if I could crawl. Once an attendant placed a banana on the floor several feet from my reach. I couldn't move. I was humiliated. Late that night I cried for the first time since my confinement. I wept hard, painful tears. I called for Jesus to come and make me well just as he had for the multitudes, centuries ago. I was weary of wearing diapers and sleeping on my back in a small steel bed with high bars like a prison. I fell asleep and had a marvelous dream. Jesus came to me and knelt down. He gently took my right hand and placed his arm around me. I put my left hand around his back. It was so vivid, so real. He was beautiful and the love and peace he brought comforted and strengthened me. He pointed to the darkness that was before us. As I turned and looked I could see nothing for it was a thick darkness. He began to talk and told me I was to return. As he spoke I looked closely at his face. I didn't want to leave. Here in this moment was the essence of life itself. I held in my arms heaven's greatest treasure.
I awakened around 3 a.m. feeling peaceful, strengthened, and loved. For some reason I had the idea to sit up and I did so! For the first time in months I was not lying on my back. I reached down and untied my feet that had been fastened into little shoes that were attached to the foot of my bed. The night nurse came in and was stunned to see me moving about. That morning there was great excitement in the ward. Everyone came in to see me! One of the physicians on duty lifted me to the floor and to everyone's amazement, I could stand, then I took my first step.
I was discharged late that afternoon. The drive home was engraved in my memory forever. I was released, set free. The world never looked so beautiful. My mother had fixed up my little bedroom for my homecoming. It was so pretty and neat with lots of new things here and there. As soon as I could, I slipped away. I went outside barefooted and felt the cool grass beneath my feet. It was a glorious summer day. I lifted my arms to heaven, thanked Jesus, and pledged him my life.
The remainder of that summer and on warm nights throughout the year I would take the screen out of my bedroom window and climb a tree up to the tile roof. There I would lie on my back and look at the stars and remember when Jesus came. This was our secret meeting place. Just he and I. It was dark on the roof, similar to when I met him. Often I would see a star fall and felt that Jesus had sent me a kiss. I would return to my little bed, comforted and strengthened, full of love and peace and ready for the new day.
For Pattie one defining experience crystallized the person she would become and the life she now lives.
These moments may still be occurring in the lives of our children. Open our eyes to your mysteries, Lord.
A Time To Reflect
1.
In the privacy of your home consider the miracle stories of your faith. Perhaps you will want to read some of them again from your Bible. Consider some of the miracles of Jesus which were symbols of power used for the sake of goodness. For example, the story of the loaves and fishes, stilling the storm, walking on water, and the resurrection of Lazarus. List some favorites of yours here.
2.
Do you have a true miracle story from your own life, or has anyone ever shared a miracle story from their life with you?
3.
We frequently hear miracle stories through our news media -- stories of miraculous escapes from disasters, and such. What do you think keeps you from believing them?
4.
What part did fairy stories or fantasy stories play in your childhood?
5.
How do you deal with miracle stories from other faiths in your teaching?
A koan is a mystery without any answer. It is affirming the words of Isaiah 55:8: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways." We are use to logical, rational thinking but there are mysteries in life without any answer. We will never know the complete answer to some questions.
Many times our teaching in the church seems to be a concentrated attack on the lost realms of wonder and terror and ambiguity. But how can we explore the mysteries of God without coming up against these things? Skirting facing these issues only diminishes faith; for just to explore the unanswerable affirms our life. The seeking itself is fulfilling and not just what is sought. We are recognizing a deep yearning to question and explore -- to imagine beyond what we can see -- to be open to the magical in the everyday. Living your life believing in mysteries and miracles makes life an adventure.
So how do we teach? Our teaching is mostly showing what has been done and felt and experienced before, telling our stories over and over. We don't cease from doing this but our purpose is not so that they can be copied exactly but as a foundation and bedrock for new experiences. Can we prepare a place to welcome, to receive, and to encourage new exploration in the spiritual realm -- even in our Sunday school rooms? All that has preceded us is available as a foundation -- a reference point. These are our stories about God and I cannot overemphasize the importance of having this foundation. The natural imagination of children needs to be fed with images that have the possibilities of becoming spontaneous expressions of insight about God.
To move from the narrow path of "correct answers" and reciting of past explanations, give your students this assignment:
ï¾¥
Write three questions for which you think there are no answers.
ï¾¥
Gather the questions and mix them up.
ï¾¥
Distribute. Each student tries to answer the questions he/she received in the swap.
Afterward consider: There are some questions we will never answer. We just live with the question. Sometimes, much later, an answer or at least an understanding of the question may surface. In archeology sometimes things long buried in the earth will surface, will just wick up, giving hints of a hidden culture. Approach these questions in the same mind set. Just let them work deep inside you.
Some of our churches have been guilty of constricting us in a culture with little room for ambiguity. We trivialize by reducing these enigmas to rational explanations. God is not a scientific explanation. Annie Dillard asks: "Does anyone have the foggiest idea of what sort of power we so blithely invoke?" We seek to prepare the minds of our students to how vast this understanding is.
In the light of this, let's look at miracles. What about miracles and the stories of miracles in the Bible? We do not have to go far in any major religion to run up against miracles. One of our tasks is to help children appreciate that which cannot be explained. Anthony de Mello says, "We are so enamored of the truth of history that we miss the truth of mystery."
It is important if we are trying to teach a child about miracles that we are open to believing in them, too. Often we want to explain the miracle away. Yet stories of miracles are keys to our faith. We, as teachers, need to foster our own sense of wrestling with what is hard to understand and be willing to surrender to the mysteries of God that we don't understand. We need to be open to the questions and not jump in with pat answers. Children seem more ready to accept a story at face value than we are. Again, they can be our teachers.
Our world is becoming more and more pluralistic. Other religions have broken in upon all but the most remote and sheltered communities. Other faiths have their own miracle stories. Our children may hear the Hanukkah story from the Jewish tradition, of the miracle of the flask of oil miraculously lasting for eight days, or the miracles from the Muslim belief that the Arabic Quran that exists today contains substantially the same Arabic that was transmitted to Mohammed and many more miracles from other cultures and religions. In considering these it is important for families of faith and our task as teachers to ensure children have a solid grounding in their own religion but at the same time not to make judgments about others. No easy task.
Teaching children that God created different nations, faiths, and cultures helps children learn respect for the miracles and stories of other faiths. We are all attempting to explain the great mysteries and wonders we see. There is and always has been a lot about the world we live in that doesn't make logical sense. Can we teach children to appreciate what can't be explained? If we are teaching in the church, chances are our particular church and its beliefs are, for us, the avenues to God and love. We try constantly to demonstrate this but also live with respect for another's point of view. There is never a need of violence over differences. In a nutshell, we want children to believe in the miracle stories of our religion, warn them against believing in false ones, and show respect for those of other faiths. Often the best way is simply to tell our stories and let them work their own power.
Sometimes life requires us to suspend belief. The world may be quite different from what we believe it to be. Truth is not only historical but mystical as well.
In thinking about miracles there is a danger that we are implying that we need to have a sky-rending revelation like Paul experienced on the road to Damascus to have a God encounter. Something dramatic -- miraculous -- outside the normal realm. This is not so. Many God-encounters are brief illuminating moments, tiny daily miracles, and these are emphasized in this book.
But we don't want to be guilty of the other extreme either -- thinking that dramatic miracles do not continue to happen. Pattie Mattozzi, an artist and writer living in Texas, allowed me to share her story with you. This story, which until now she only shared with a few persons, happened when she was a child. In her words:
While living in Florida in Key Biscayne, I became seriously ill with polio at the age of five. Walking home from kindergarten I noticed I was having difficulty breathing. I could hardly walk. I was fortunate to arrive home safely but immediately collapsed on my bed with a high fever. I was delirious for three days and during that time was transferred to several hospitals in the greater Miami area. The diagnosis was polio. After my fever and severe headaches subsided I was weakened and paralyzed. I could use my arms but my legs wouldn't move. I was sent to the Children's Variety Hospital and remained there for almost a year. I needed constant care and attention as well as physical therapy. I remained cheerful throughout the ordeal even though I was no longer in contact with my family. I was placed in isolation for a considerable amount of time. Many children were in serious condition and required the assistance of iron lungs to aid in their breathing. The noise from the machines made it difficult to sleep at night.
Prior to my illness I had attended Sunday school every week and although I was small I had great faith. When I was taught of Jesus, I was absolutely delighted to know that someone as loving and fine as he, existed. Interiorly I had a supernatural confidence, a feeling of "well being" and security. I was amazed at his miracles, his love and kindness.
The weeks turned into months. My physician no longer had words of encouragement. On several occasions, I was placed on the floor with the entire staff watching to see if I could crawl. Once an attendant placed a banana on the floor several feet from my reach. I couldn't move. I was humiliated. Late that night I cried for the first time since my confinement. I wept hard, painful tears. I called for Jesus to come and make me well just as he had for the multitudes, centuries ago. I was weary of wearing diapers and sleeping on my back in a small steel bed with high bars like a prison. I fell asleep and had a marvelous dream. Jesus came to me and knelt down. He gently took my right hand and placed his arm around me. I put my left hand around his back. It was so vivid, so real. He was beautiful and the love and peace he brought comforted and strengthened me. He pointed to the darkness that was before us. As I turned and looked I could see nothing for it was a thick darkness. He began to talk and told me I was to return. As he spoke I looked closely at his face. I didn't want to leave. Here in this moment was the essence of life itself. I held in my arms heaven's greatest treasure.
I awakened around 3 a.m. feeling peaceful, strengthened, and loved. For some reason I had the idea to sit up and I did so! For the first time in months I was not lying on my back. I reached down and untied my feet that had been fastened into little shoes that were attached to the foot of my bed. The night nurse came in and was stunned to see me moving about. That morning there was great excitement in the ward. Everyone came in to see me! One of the physicians on duty lifted me to the floor and to everyone's amazement, I could stand, then I took my first step.
I was discharged late that afternoon. The drive home was engraved in my memory forever. I was released, set free. The world never looked so beautiful. My mother had fixed up my little bedroom for my homecoming. It was so pretty and neat with lots of new things here and there. As soon as I could, I slipped away. I went outside barefooted and felt the cool grass beneath my feet. It was a glorious summer day. I lifted my arms to heaven, thanked Jesus, and pledged him my life.
The remainder of that summer and on warm nights throughout the year I would take the screen out of my bedroom window and climb a tree up to the tile roof. There I would lie on my back and look at the stars and remember when Jesus came. This was our secret meeting place. Just he and I. It was dark on the roof, similar to when I met him. Often I would see a star fall and felt that Jesus had sent me a kiss. I would return to my little bed, comforted and strengthened, full of love and peace and ready for the new day.
For Pattie one defining experience crystallized the person she would become and the life she now lives.
These moments may still be occurring in the lives of our children. Open our eyes to your mysteries, Lord.
A Time To Reflect
1.
In the privacy of your home consider the miracle stories of your faith. Perhaps you will want to read some of them again from your Bible. Consider some of the miracles of Jesus which were symbols of power used for the sake of goodness. For example, the story of the loaves and fishes, stilling the storm, walking on water, and the resurrection of Lazarus. List some favorites of yours here.
2.
Do you have a true miracle story from your own life, or has anyone ever shared a miracle story from their life with you?
3.
We frequently hear miracle stories through our news media -- stories of miraculous escapes from disasters, and such. What do you think keeps you from believing them?
4.
What part did fairy stories or fantasy stories play in your childhood?
5.
How do you deal with miracle stories from other faiths in your teaching?
