At the sacrament of Baptism, the priest/deacon asks the parents “Do you commit to bringing up your child in faith.”

The answer is “We do”.

If we any of us really thought about it before we answered what we know we are supposed to say, we would never be able to get the words out. Sweat would run down our faces, knees would tremble, hearts would pound, mouth would go dry.

Bringing up our children in faith – what a big deal. What an awesome responsibility.

This, my friends, is a true example of that dangerous faith of which we have spoken. Once we have committed, there is no turning back. And boy, do we let ourselves in for it.

Every child is different and every child receives God differently. Our own uniqueness leads to God speaking in each of our hearts in a personal way. As parents who accept the responsibility of raising our children in faith, we consent to God being free to speak to our children in His own way.

I understand this. I take joy in this. However, my oldest son also brings me to tears in this. He is, and always has been, what you might call spiritually aware. God is like breathing to him, natural and essential. This can lead to some hair-raising conversations.

Like earlier this year, when he asked me a question about God, and we began talking. He then asked if God was mad about something (I confess that I cannot remember what he asked, but it was very minor). I replied that no, of course God was not mad over that thing. He might get disappointed in our choices and behavior, and maybe angry like a parent when their child in naughty, but not plain out-and-out angry.

“But Mom,” my child replied, “it says in one of the books of the Old Testament, it was one of the minor prophets, that Ninevah did not do what God told them to and God got angry and he destroyed them all.”

Slightly flabbergasted, I stuttered out a reply. He then went on to list several more specific Old Testament examples of the wrath of God. This led to a conversation of the New Testament fulfilling the Old, and Christ as the Pascal Lamb. With an 8 year old, mind you!

When I signed up for this parenthood thing, I did not bargain for this. I did not think I would have to be dragging out my theology books for the under-10 set.

Just a month ago we were watching tv, when a commercial for a program exploring the book of Revelations and St. John came on. This same child was sitting beside me. He piped up, “Yeah, Revelations is one of my favorite books of the Bible.”

“Really,” I smiled. “Now have you read that in your children’s Bible or a big Bible”.

“A real Bible,” he replied. “My favorite parts are the woman and the dragon, the seven trumpets, the seven plagues, and the seven bowls.”

The smile vanished from my face. What was this kid talking about? The next day he showed me. His favorite section of Revelations, by the way, encompasses chapters 7-17.

My point – when we commit to raising our children in faith, we commit to anything. I hope to speak more on this next time. It is such a mind-blowing part of parenting our children. And we get to be part of it!

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