A Conversation with Some Kids

"Come, join us. We can cleanse you off your sins. Oh what? You've never sinned in your life? It's okay, God made sure everyone of you are born a sinner, just so that He can clear your sins and show how great and kind He is."


There I was, sitting there idling. It was break time at the House of Joy, the kids, orphanages, were running around with biscuits in their hand, behaving just like any kid would.

They ran in circles, crawled under the tables, jumped, screamed, with their respective tutors and other kids. I'm sure they don't get to have that much fun usually, when everyone around is just as much depressed as the next kid they see in their small, closed, community.

"They are all Christians here in this house," I heard one of the caretakers said on the other day. I wanted to say something in response, but I just sat where I was, and gave in to a mild smile.

As my mind wandered, one of the kids in the living room beckoned for the other kids to join him at the window. The windows were big transparent planes, so there's little difficulty fitting everyone. Every kid in the room lined up across the windows, watching an unfolding incident somewhere across the highway just outside.

Smoke rose from a block of shops, or possibly some residential area, I wasn't sure as it was blocked by a row moderately high buildings. In any case, the smoke rose rapidly, forming a column in the air, a black column of dusts and soots.

Our initial reaction was that a fire had happened, some building must be burning up right now across the road. You don't get to see black smokes coming out from factories, so i presumed it must be a fire.

A kid asked me what was happening. I told him that the buildings over there are under fire. He saddened, turning over to the windows again. Then he asked again," What about the peoples in the building? Will they die?"

Well, being frank and to the point, I said," They'll die if they cannot manage to escape the building in time."

"Then that means they are dead lo, the smoke getting so large already."

I kept quiet after hearing that, not that there's anything I can say. I watched on, when another kid, a girl, turned and gave respond to the previous kid's comment.

"Don't say stupid things! The Lord Jesus Christ will save them. They will not die!"

I was kind of shocked, not of the sudden response, but I was surprised at how a 7 year-old girl can say such a thing.

Then, casually, I asked the girl," Do you really believe Jesus will save them from the fire?"

"Yes, of course. Why not? He is capable of everything, he'll make sure the peoples come out alive."

I was silenced of course. She was just a kid, what can I say?



Then the previous boy asked me all the sudden," Kor kor, do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?"

I said," No, I was not brought up as a Christian."

"Then what religion are you?"

"Well, I don't really have a religion. Why?"

"Then if you don't have religion, why not believe in Jesus?"

Tough question, I thought. For a moment, I was conflicting within myself, because I'm afraid he wouldn't understand my reasoning, as complicated a matter as it is.

I took a deep breath, and said," Because I don't see a reason to. Why do you believe in Jesus then?"

He thought for a moment, clueless, then he gave me a shrug," Because they told me to."

Being just a lower primary school kid, that question was too hard for him to answer, of course. He wouldn't know why believe in Jesus, apart from the fact that he was taught that he MUST! Or bad things would happen to him.

I then asked, prodding further," If you don't know why you believe in something, then why believe it?"

Again, he look stunned, as if giving it a thought for the first time in his life. Then he just shook his head, and gave no answer.

I knew that question was beyond him ability to answer. So I laughed it off and gave him a pat on his head, folded my arms and sat back into the chair, wondering if this is how everyone got into it.



Ignorance in the face of reality?



Till next time, cheers~