Philosophy and 5 Year Olds

Last night I got a text from my husband that said "I forgot to tell you. Trinity asked 'If God made everything why didn't he give everyone a home and nice things?' I was not really sure how to answer that question." Well, of course you don't know how to answer that. Adults have been struggling with this question for quite some time and sometimes they aren't comfortable with the answers they are given by "professionals". I was shocked that such a big question could come out of our little girl (she will be 5 tomorrow actually). I thought that I would at least have another year or so before she would start asking zingers like this. It seems that she might have been picking up on some of the religious conversations happening around the house. With all the soul searching I have been doing and the discussions my husband and I have had over the book "Love Wins" by Rob Bell there have been some interesting topics coming up. Sometimes though she's watching TV or playing at the table we don't really realize she's picking up what it is were talking about but it seems that Trinity has been doing a little philosophy of her own.

So how do we answer these questions that people have been grappling with for ages in a way that an almost 5 year old will understand? I asked my husband how he answered and he told me while he was trying to come up with something to say she got distracted so problem averted. I thought about this quite a bit then last night. I know what anything I would say someone would disagree with and how would I be able to get her to understand the effects of free will and sin in the world.

Last night as I was putting her to bed I asked her about her question. Explaining to her that this was something that big people talk about two and that it's very difficult to understand didn't really seem to phase her. I then explained how God loves us all very much but that the world is broken and some people don't have the things they need. I told her that some day He is going to fix everything so that all the people will be able to get the things that they need. I know it's such a simplified explanation and doesn't really cover all of what we believe but I am so glad that she is willing to voice these questions and look for answers. I hope that as she grows she continues to search for truth and come to us when she doesn't understand. I also suppose I should get ready cause the hard questions, they are a coming and we better be prepared.

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