taking care of "that man"

saturday night i was getting the boys ready for bed. as i wrestled his baby brother into pj's, sylas sat on the floor and looked up at this illustration as it hangs on our wall. his two-and-a-half-yr-old eyes revealed much internal processing and concern. finally, he blurted out, "dad! who dis guy underneath da mountain?" i some how knew we were in for an interesting conversation. "he's stuck, isn't he? and it looks like he has some ouwies!" i responded. "that's soooo sad!" he said with a furrowed brow. he paused and a second later said, "and who's this guy on his horse? he no helping!" my heart swelled as i felt a lump form in my throat. "i know sylas, that is so sad, too. sometimes people don't always help when other people have ouwies." he shook his head and repeated his lament, "soooo sad!" curious about my son, i asked, "if daddy and sylas were walking by, what would we do for that man?" without skipping a beat, he said quite matter-of-factly, "we put him in mummy's bed, make him a cup of tea and tuck him in." i was a wet-eyed, glowing, awe-filled mess as he turned and ran into his room only to return seconds later with a teddy bear that he has never paid much attention to. he held it up and pronounced that the teddy bear was "that man" and proceeded to wrap him in a blankie, nurse him and tuck him in bed. that night he rejected his usual stuffed animals, preferring to fall asleep holding "that man" and since saturday he has been caring for the teddy bear and sleeping with it every night...
the gospel has never been more true and disruptive to me as when it is embodied by my toddler son who has never heard the story of the "good samaritain" but is able to respond to the same impulse.

for another theological reflection by sylas, visit this story from last summer.