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Harnessing the force of ... T
By Kristin Berkey-Abbott
he Force is real, you know,” my 4-year-old nephew said. He fixes his fierce expression on me. I nod. With increasing urgency, he said, “It really, really is.” For a minute, I wonder: Should I pursue this thought with him? Could I talk about how the Force is like God? It has been awhile since I’ve seen any part of the Star Wars series. Can I pull off this theological discussion, with a 4-year-old no less? There’s added pressure because I’m also my nephew’s “Christian Monitor.” In other traditions, I’d be called a godmother. But I’m not Roman Catholic, and my sister and brother-in-law are, so I must be called the Christian Monitor. I kind of like that title. Lately I’ve been doing more monitoring than guiding
or leading. And I’ve been feeling guilty about that. I had such good intentions. More than that, I took solemn vows. Even if you’re not an official godparent, you’ve taken vows too. Each time we baptize a child, as a congregation we vow to support that child and family. It’s time to think about concrete ways we can do that, whether for our indi- vidual godchildren or for the children in our families and churches. The actions we might take are as varied as humans are. But here are some ideas to get us started: • Recognize baptismal anniversaries. One of the essen- tial things we can do is send a godchild cards or other remembrances on each anniversary of the child’s baptism. Send a card each year. As your godchild grows older, share your memories of that special day. Write them down or record them. • Communicate regularly. Why stop with a once-a-year baptismal commemoration? Pledge to talk to your god- child regularly about your faith. If you’re both fond of the phone, resolve to chat once a week or monthly. And think about something more permanent than a phone call, something the child and parents could refer to again and again. You could send written mem- ories or prayers. You could send illustrations or collages that you cre-
Berkey-Abbott is a freelance writer in Hollywood, Fla.
ate for your godchild. (See page 15 for more ideas.) • Give the gift of a periodical. You might say you don’t have time to do all this communicating. The good news is that for a low price, you can give your godchild a sub- scription to a magazine, which will deliver theological training and fun throughout the year. My nephew loves The Little Christian (
www.thelittlechristian.org) and
godparents 14 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
PHOTODISC
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