The Artist and Theologian

I am hijacking my own site to tell a story that was requested several times on our vacation. It is completely true.

We’ve been encouraging Sammy, being of preschool age, to practice drawing and writing letters and numbers. We hand him a pad of paper and a marker (a nice, washable maker, please – no, Dad, not the Sharpie) and try to offer up artistic suggestions. He’d draw circles and smiley faces, giant Pollack scribbles, and page after page of printed letters, all of which then get taped to the wall in his bedroom. He’s not likely to request this particular activity, but once he gets going, he’s an enthusiastic participant. Occasionally, he asked one of us to draw something he can’t quite wrap his fingers around, but most of the time, he gamely draws on. He’s very fond of learning a new letter, which he practices over and over.

One day, Sammy asked me to draw Jesus. I thought, strange request, but he had been going to Sunday school, so maybe this was just carryover. So I made a rough sketch. Up it went on the wall, and I considered it mission accomplished. A few days later, I overheard him made the same request to his dad. A tad hurt that my offering didn’t suit, I watch Chris write out the name Jesus several times, trying to teach the letters involved. That was taped up in the wall collage as well.

Some time after that, Sammy came to me and, yet again, said he wanted to draw Jesus. “Really, Honey? You want to draw Jesus again?” I asked, curious as to why this subject matter required so much attention, and a little proud of his tenacity.

His response: “Oh yes. I want to draw Jesus. And H-ez and I-zez and J-zez.”

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blathering about our travels.