My son participated in Palm Sunday services yesterday (Catholics often go to Mass on Saturday evening). He was so proud to process up the aisle in front of the priest carrying a palm branch. His eyes were wide and his chest was puffed out as he stood on the altar for the opening prayer. When he returned to our pew, I gave him a high-five and a hug. At no point during this tender moment were we bombed such as occurred in Egypt today.
Now that my son is six, he's interested in all sorts of why questions both inside and outside of Church. Inside of Church, he asks why Jesus died, why altar servers carried candles and why certain parts of the Mass are in other languages. Outside of Church he asks me why I'm a White Sox fan, why poor kids don't have food and why dogs aren't allowed at the playground. I try to answer each and every question honestly and age-appropriately. For the heavier questions, I try to follow-up the cold hard facts with something he and I can do to make things better (such as how we can help poor kids to have food).
Thankfully my son is not aware of the chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this week, nor the American bombing in response. I don't want to explain chemical weapons to him -- he already sleeps poorly. And I'm not able to explain to him why I think the American response (at President Trump's direction) was a just and valid (although not necessarily legal) action. My son is smart enough to know that I didn't vote for Trump, that I disagree with Trump frequently and that I am afraid of the consequences of President Trump. I don't think he's ready for the subtleties of agreeing with someone sometimes but not most of the time. I'm not ready to explain either why sometimes bombs are the right thing though never a good thing. And I'm unable to explain to myself, much less him, the subtleties of agreeing with President Trump on the use of military force.
Now that my son is six, he's interested in all sorts of why questions both inside and outside of Church. Inside of Church, he asks why Jesus died, why altar servers carried candles and why certain parts of the Mass are in other languages. Outside of Church he asks me why I'm a White Sox fan, why poor kids don't have food and why dogs aren't allowed at the playground. I try to answer each and every question honestly and age-appropriately. For the heavier questions, I try to follow-up the cold hard facts with something he and I can do to make things better (such as how we can help poor kids to have food).
Thankfully my son is not aware of the chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this week, nor the American bombing in response. I don't want to explain chemical weapons to him -- he already sleeps poorly. And I'm not able to explain to him why I think the American response (at President Trump's direction) was a just and valid (although not necessarily legal) action. My son is smart enough to know that I didn't vote for Trump, that I disagree with Trump frequently and that I am afraid of the consequences of President Trump. I don't think he's ready for the subtleties of agreeing with someone sometimes but not most of the time. I'm not ready to explain either why sometimes bombs are the right thing though never a good thing. And I'm unable to explain to myself, much less him, the subtleties of agreeing with President Trump on the use of military force.