Divorce
Children's Story
The worst moment of Jake's life had happened some three years ago, when his parents had divorced. At least, it had seemed like the worst moment at the time. Since then, now he had grown thoroughly used to the situation, Jake had begun to enjoy it.
Both his mum and his dad seemed much happier than they were when they lived all together as a family. Jake could hardly remember those times, but he did remember his mum crying a lot and his dad always going out in a temper and coming home drunk. That had been really terrifying, and Jake had done his best to make himself as small and as quiet as possible so that his dad wouldn't notice him.
But his dad never went out drinking now, and he was really good fun. Jake liked him much better now that he was living over the other side of town. And Jake loved going to see him at weekends, for they did all sorts of exciting things together, like going to the football match, and going ice skating, and going to the cinema. And sometimes, they'd just stay home and talk. Jake liked that best of all.
Jake lived with his mum, and that was good. She never cried now, and she was much livelier and much gentler than she used to be, and she never minded when Jake brought lots of friends home, even when they made a mess and ate all the food.
So on the whole, life was good now for Jake. That is, it was good until he went to midweek Sunday School and learned that divorce was against God's will and was a terrible thing to do. Jake had to go midweek because he was always at his dad's at weekends, but he still thought of the meeting as Sunday School.
On this occasion, the teacher had read some words from St. Mark's gospel where Jesus had said, "What God has joined together let no one separate." Jake's teacher had explained that Jesus was talking about marriage, and she went on to tell the class that divorce was terribly wrong.
Jake felt as though someone had hit him on the head. He couldn't think straight, and he felt as though all the other children were staring at him. And he felt very confused. If divorce was so dreadfully wrong, did that mean that his parents were evil? They'd felt much more evil three years ago when they were married but were hurting each other so much, than they felt now that they were apart but were so peaceful and calm and gentle and kind.
Jake went home with a heavy heart. He couldn't bear to think that his mum and dad were evil in God's sight. And he couldn't understand how a God who loved everybody could possibly want his mum and dad to stay married, where they kept on hurting each other. But he prayed to God anyway about it all because he couldn't think what else to do.
God must have heard his prayer, for the vicar appeared on the doorstep next evening. He came from time to time just to see how Jake and his mum were getting on, and Jake liked him because he was easy to talk to. The vicar asked Jake how he was getting on at Sunday School, and Jake made a face. Then it all came tumbling out. Jake told the vicar all his problems and exactly how he was feeling.
The vicar opened his Bible and showed Jake a verse in the Old Testament, from the book of Dueteronomy chapter 24. It said that a man could divorce his wife if she did a scandalous thing. Then the vicar explained that in the time of Jesus, some men would throw their wife out just because she burned the dinner, or because as she grew older she wasn't quite as pretty as she had been.
"And in those days," the vicar went on, "women didn't earn any money and there was no Social Security, so they often died of hunger. Jesus said that was quite wrong. He said that God had created men and women to enjoy life together, helping each other, and that it was wrong of men to throw a woman out of the house, because they shouldn't separate what God had joined."
Jake frowned. "My dad didn't throw my mum out of the house," he said. "In fact, it was my dad who moved out. And he pays lot of money to make sure my mum and I are OK. Does that mean it's all right? Does it mean God isn't angry with him after all?"
The vicar nodded. "God loves all of us very much indeed," he said, "and that includes you and your mum and your dad. God knows that for human beings to be at their very, very happiest, they need each other. So ideally he'd like us all to be able to enjoy a long and happy marriage. But God certainly doesn't want people to live together if that destroys them, so for some people who find that marriage to each other makes them into worse people not better people, it's much better to separate and divorce."
Jake beamed. "Just like my mum and dad," he said.
The vicar nodded. "Afraid so! But they're so happy now that it just proves God loves them very much indeed. So stop worrying, and enjoy your mum and your dad - God does!"
And Jake did.
Both his mum and his dad seemed much happier than they were when they lived all together as a family. Jake could hardly remember those times, but he did remember his mum crying a lot and his dad always going out in a temper and coming home drunk. That had been really terrifying, and Jake had done his best to make himself as small and as quiet as possible so that his dad wouldn't notice him.
But his dad never went out drinking now, and he was really good fun. Jake liked him much better now that he was living over the other side of town. And Jake loved going to see him at weekends, for they did all sorts of exciting things together, like going to the football match, and going ice skating, and going to the cinema. And sometimes, they'd just stay home and talk. Jake liked that best of all.
Jake lived with his mum, and that was good. She never cried now, and she was much livelier and much gentler than she used to be, and she never minded when Jake brought lots of friends home, even when they made a mess and ate all the food.
So on the whole, life was good now for Jake. That is, it was good until he went to midweek Sunday School and learned that divorce was against God's will and was a terrible thing to do. Jake had to go midweek because he was always at his dad's at weekends, but he still thought of the meeting as Sunday School.
On this occasion, the teacher had read some words from St. Mark's gospel where Jesus had said, "What God has joined together let no one separate." Jake's teacher had explained that Jesus was talking about marriage, and she went on to tell the class that divorce was terribly wrong.
Jake felt as though someone had hit him on the head. He couldn't think straight, and he felt as though all the other children were staring at him. And he felt very confused. If divorce was so dreadfully wrong, did that mean that his parents were evil? They'd felt much more evil three years ago when they were married but were hurting each other so much, than they felt now that they were apart but were so peaceful and calm and gentle and kind.
Jake went home with a heavy heart. He couldn't bear to think that his mum and dad were evil in God's sight. And he couldn't understand how a God who loved everybody could possibly want his mum and dad to stay married, where they kept on hurting each other. But he prayed to God anyway about it all because he couldn't think what else to do.
God must have heard his prayer, for the vicar appeared on the doorstep next evening. He came from time to time just to see how Jake and his mum were getting on, and Jake liked him because he was easy to talk to. The vicar asked Jake how he was getting on at Sunday School, and Jake made a face. Then it all came tumbling out. Jake told the vicar all his problems and exactly how he was feeling.
The vicar opened his Bible and showed Jake a verse in the Old Testament, from the book of Dueteronomy chapter 24. It said that a man could divorce his wife if she did a scandalous thing. Then the vicar explained that in the time of Jesus, some men would throw their wife out just because she burned the dinner, or because as she grew older she wasn't quite as pretty as she had been.
"And in those days," the vicar went on, "women didn't earn any money and there was no Social Security, so they often died of hunger. Jesus said that was quite wrong. He said that God had created men and women to enjoy life together, helping each other, and that it was wrong of men to throw a woman out of the house, because they shouldn't separate what God had joined."
Jake frowned. "My dad didn't throw my mum out of the house," he said. "In fact, it was my dad who moved out. And he pays lot of money to make sure my mum and I are OK. Does that mean it's all right? Does it mean God isn't angry with him after all?"
The vicar nodded. "God loves all of us very much indeed," he said, "and that includes you and your mum and your dad. God knows that for human beings to be at their very, very happiest, they need each other. So ideally he'd like us all to be able to enjoy a long and happy marriage. But God certainly doesn't want people to live together if that destroys them, so for some people who find that marriage to each other makes them into worse people not better people, it's much better to separate and divorce."
Jake beamed. "Just like my mum and dad," he said.
The vicar nodded. "Afraid so! But they're so happy now that it just proves God loves them very much indeed. So stop worrying, and enjoy your mum and your dad - God does!"
And Jake did.
