We were sitting in the empty ruins of Copán, Honduras. I had told the kids upfront that we were pretending. This was a man we were dressing as Jesus so we could make pictures to help people around the world imagine Him.
So we talked about imagination. It was the ultimate Sunday School lesson.
Then Jesus walked out. He was a wonderful father in real life. He had studied Spanish for months just for this trip. "Suffer the children to come unto me." And come they did.
He spent 35-45 minutes making sure each child felt seen, talking to each of them in their own language.
Then He picked up a little blonde Honduran girl, about four years old. SHE PLANTED A KISS ON HIM JUST LIKE SHE WOULD HER DAD! Our Jesus was as surprised as the rest of us. Her parents were laughing and crying. Me too, camera in hand.
(I've gotten a little heat for that picture. But the moment was as beautiful as anything I've ever seen.)
Kids didn't reach for a doctrine. They reach for a person.
Imagination is the doorway where a child meets the real Jesus. A child who feels safe kisses the face of love.
Imagination is a vital part of worship as a Christian.
I made these to help kids remember that Jesus is their Savior and their friend.
Collectors hang them in kids' rooms. They give them as youth baptism gifts. They give them to a kid in their life who needs another Friend.
Kids have been kissing the face of love since Galilee.
["Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
We were sitting in the empty ruins of Copán, Honduras. I had told the kids upfront that we were pretending. This was a man we were dressing as Jesus so we could make pictures to help people around the world imagine Him.
So we talked about imagination. It was the ultimate Sunday School lesson.
Then Jesus walked out. He was a wonderful father in real life. He had studied Spanish for months just for this trip. "Suffer the children to come unto me." And come they did.
He spent 35-45 minutes making sure each child felt seen, talking to each of them in their own language.
Then He picked up a little blonde Honduran girl, about four years old. SHE PLANTED A KISS ON HIM JUST LIKE SHE WOULD HER DAD! Our Jesus was as surprised as the rest of us. Her parents were laughing and crying. Me too, camera in hand.
(I've gotten a little heat for that picture. But the moment was as beautiful as anything I've ever seen.)
Kids didn't reach for a doctrine. They reach for a person.
Imagination is the doorway where a child meets the real Jesus. A child who feels safe kisses the face of love.
Imagination is a vital part of worship as a Christian.
I made these to help kids remember that Jesus is their Savior and their friend.
Collectors hang them in kids' rooms. They give them as youth baptism gifts. They give them to a kid in their life who needs another Friend.
Kids have been kissing the face of love since Galilee.
["Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
