Saturday 14 May 2011

A letter to God: How did you get invented?

There is a nice story that I found on Jonny Barker's blog. A six year old wrote a letter to God entitled "how did you get invented?"
Her father decided to email it around to a few different groups including the head of theology at the Anglican Communion and this was the response sent back.


Dear Lulu,
Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –
‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.
Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.
But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’
And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off.
I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lors of love from me too.
+Archbishop Rowan

I think it's an interesting response which I'm sure could be attacked for being very simple, yet it was aimed at a 6 year old. so maybe simple is better.

What would you have written if you were old Rowan?