Whenever April 4 rolls around, I think about the story I heard several years back on the radio show "This American Life". Originally aired on 6-22-01, I think I heard it on a re-broadcast a few months later. Still it never fails to bring a tear to my eye. Here it is, in short:
A dad and his 4 year old daughter are talking about Christmas, and what it means, how it is a celebration of Jesus' birth. They get a children's Bible, talk about Jesus' life and teachings, and she keeps asking "what was that phrase?" Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
A little while later, they were driving past a church with a big crucifix outside. Daughter asks "Who is that?" Oh, yeah, the rest of the story. After explaining that it was Jesus, daughter asks what happened. Dad says, "He ran afoul of the Roman government. Jesus' message was so radical and unnerving to the prevailing authorities of the time that they had to kill him. They came to the conclusion that he would have to die. His message was too troublesome."
About a month later, daughter was off school and dad took the day to hang out with her. They see a drawing of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the newspaper and she asks "who is that?"
Dad: It's Martin Luther King, Jr., the reason you are not in school today. Today was his birthday, we are celebrating his life.
Daughter: Who was he?
Dad: He was a preacher.
Daughter: For Jesus!?
Dad: Yeah, he was, but there was another thing he was famous for. He had a message.
Daughter: What was his message?
Dad: He said you should treat everybody the same no matter what they look like.
Daughter: Well that's what Jesus said
Dad: Yeah, I guess so.
Daughter: Did they kill him too?
A dad and his 4 year old daughter are talking about Christmas, and what it means, how it is a celebration of Jesus' birth. They get a children's Bible, talk about Jesus' life and teachings, and she keeps asking "what was that phrase?" Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
A little while later, they were driving past a church with a big crucifix outside. Daughter asks "Who is that?" Oh, yeah, the rest of the story. After explaining that it was Jesus, daughter asks what happened. Dad says, "He ran afoul of the Roman government. Jesus' message was so radical and unnerving to the prevailing authorities of the time that they had to kill him. They came to the conclusion that he would have to die. His message was too troublesome."
About a month later, daughter was off school and dad took the day to hang out with her. They see a drawing of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the newspaper and she asks "who is that?"
Dad: It's Martin Luther King, Jr., the reason you are not in school today. Today was his birthday, we are celebrating his life.
Daughter: Who was he?
Dad: He was a preacher.
Daughter: For Jesus!?
Dad: Yeah, he was, but there was another thing he was famous for. He had a message.
Daughter: What was his message?
Dad: He said you should treat everybody the same no matter what they look like.
Daughter: Well that's what Jesus said
Dad: Yeah, I guess so.
Daughter: Did they kill him too?
April 14, 2008 at 6:18 AM
OMG!!! I can't believe you quoted that story. I downloaded the podcast of it and made CD's for people when I heard it. It just moved me beyond anything rational.