The other evening I had a wonderful discussion about theology with my four-year old grand-daughter, Talina. After the evening meal I was invited by her parents to read her the bed-time Bible story.

It so happened that she was up to the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. When I had finished the story she looked at me and asked, “Opa, who made Lazarus die?" I replied that Lazarus had become very sick, too sick... and that because Jesus wasn’t there to make him better he had died. With just a hint of impatience, that I obviously hadn’t heard her question correctly, she repeated, “But Opa, who made Lazarus die?"

Good grief...! What was I to do? Quote to her Lord’s Day 10 of the Heidelberg Catechism that God so rules all things that “rain and drought... health and sickness, prosperity and poverty - all things in fact, come to us not by chance but by His fatherly hand"? Should I explain to her that not even a hair can fall from our heads without divine permission? And how could I explain to her that only God can give life and only God can take life, when humans nevertheless take life too... sometimes even their own lives? And how does that horrible reality tie in with truth that God overrules all things?

After a moment of hesitation I simply stated that God had made Lazarus die. But that wasn’t the end of the matter, was it? “Why Opa?"

I was reminded again how reading Bible stories with your children and grandchildren can open up some wonderful moments of discussion. I was also reminded again of the natural curiosity of children and how they are capable of dealing (at least to some extent) with the big questions of life.

I explained to this little one that God had allowed Lazarus to die from his sickness so that Jesus could come and make Lazarus alive again and so show how powerful and wonderful the Lord Jesus is. And God is showing us how much He loves and cares for us.

Wow! Here I was discussing theology with my four-year old grand-daughter.

Her two questions set me thinking.

Her first question reminded me that there is this need for us to know that life is not random and meaningless. We do not live in a chaotic and disordered world. Almost instinctively my grand-daughter, even from the perspective of her limited years of Christian upbringing, needed to be reassured that God is in control — even when death strikes.

That same day I had made some pastoral visits to people going through tough times and there too we touched on the fact that God was still in heaven — in spite of injuries and sickness; regardless of broken relationships and unemployment. Adversity too happens under His direction.  That takes us to the heart of my grand-daughter’s second question.  The point is that that the Lord our God has a purpose for all that happens.  Paul tells us in Romans 8 that He makes all things work for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.  When that happens He is glorified – just as Jesus was glorified too in the death of Lazarus.

John Westendorp