We went to church today as a family. That’s not normally cause for celebration, but we’re down to nine cows left to calve, so Boss Man even made it to church with us! It was a great morning/early afternoon together.

Since today was Palm Sunday, the boys were involved in the service by carrying in palm leaves for everyone to wave during our opening services. It was great to see even the younger boys getting into the festivity.

The service went on pretty uneventfully, including the children’s sermon, which doesn’t usually have too big of an impact on our littlest two. After the children’s sermon, instead of a regular sermon regarding the importance of this holiday, three readers from our church read The Passion, or the recount of Jesus’ last hours before the crucifixion.

I didn’t think much of it, but EJ was oddly silent. He was staring at the image projected on the wall:

This is the image that had EJ in deep thought.

He looked up at me, and asked, “How did Jesus die?”

I wasn’t sure where he was going with his thoughts, so I simply stated that he died on the cross. He asked who put them there, and I said that people that thought he was a bad man put him there. And then things became more difficult for me.

EJ looked at me, with tears in his eyes, and simply said, “But Mom, they were wrong. Why didn’t anyone tell them they were wrong?”

Silence.

I had no answer.

In fact, even if I did have an answer, I wouldn’t have been able to share it with him. I gave him a reassuring hug, and tried to compose myself.

I have participated in many Palm Sunday services. I have read a good portion of the Bible, although I have never read it from front to back. I read from my Bible regularly, going where my heart leads me, picking scripture that suits the day, the mood…and yet, here a 6-year-old boy brings me to tears and leads me to a place that I hardly understand.

When we got home from church, I spent a little time reading to EJ out of his Bible, so that his fears were allayed and that he could rejoice in knowing that Jesus did not suffer needlessly. His death was a gift to us all, and that it’s up to each of us to decide how to use that gift.

This little man was relieved to learn the importance of the story told today, but his innocence taught me more than anything.

Deep thoughts for a 6-year-old, but I’ve quickly come to realize that EJ isn’t your typical 6-year-old. Perhaps next year he can explain it all to me.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and reveled them to little children.” (Luke 10:21)