How ought we position the Bible & the Gospel to our children? (1) As a simplified version of it? (2) as a hidden message which they can only understand a part of? (3) as an amazing message which they can understand and keep understanding and never know it all?

Seems the church, while enamored by idealism in one lens, has as it’s other lens “accessibility.” We all want our children “saved” NOW before they are 5 so that they’ll never have to get mixed up in the world’s pain. That sounds more like an (ab)use of religion for personal parenting pleasure instead of seeking God’s desire/plan for your child!

Jesus didn’t seem too concerned about “accessibility.” or dumbing down our faith-system. Rather, he spoke of it in confusing stories and hard-to-accept statements. He, like Kierkegaard seemed more concerned with making difficulties than bringing clarity to a situation. But all that is perhaps “spin.”
What of this idea that the Gospel be communicated not a “hidden” or “you’ll understand it when you’re older” message? This sounds cultish, and draws harsh lines around who’s “in” or not. The former reason is irrelevant, the latter wholly relevant: God’s message is clearly able to be trusted by those who may not understand all of the details. Yes, children will understand the gospel better when they are older, but they are not incapable of trusting it even without knowledge of the details.

But the Gospel is also not simply “magic.” DNA-evidence (and computers) are “magic” to most people. Cookies baking can be “magic” to children. Going to the bank can be “magic” (since they ALWAYS and ONLY give you money!) These kinds of “magical” understandings aren’t wrong, just lacking the depth of understanding. But if you come to an adult who goes to the bank always expecting money, you know something isn’t right. And anyone not a child who, upon pulling out those cookies jumps for joy and amazement that it’s not just an icky lump of gooey batter..

Children can get by without understanding the details. Certainly this is part of what Jesus refers to with “childlike faith” in Mt 18. But Paul wasn’t very content to have to deal with a bunch of children in 1 Cor 13.11! Our faith can be “childlike” in its pure and simple trust, but our understanding (reason/intellect/rationality) of our faith ought always be “on par” with our understanding of any other aspect of this planet (development). So then, our communication of the Gospel to children ought not to the point of “I wish I were older/smarter,” for that is Eph 6 exasperation, but “I can’t wait to know more about God!” Satisfied with (even ignorant of) their own development, interested in their relationship with God.

I grew up more with a “this is what Jacob did”/”be like Paul” focused Christianity instead of a “this is what Joseph learned about God, how hard it was and how cool things can turn out!” Imagine that mixed with “This is what Korah learned about God.” There’s a lot to God. He takes our lives to display himself to us and all others.

Not that children follow that abstract summary idea of “our lives”.. but also, not that we want them to go around saying “Today I’m going to display God’s wrath!” since it is God who defines our lives and what they can display and unto whom will they be seen.

The whole of humanity, whether believers in God or not display him. His qualities are in all in various levels. All men reflect his image(Gen 2), but not all participate in his nature (2 Peter 1:4). What is this distinction? Romans 1 & 2 display the option for unbelievers to uphold the law AND to twist their lives and epistemology into their own self-gratifying realm. Which would we prefer for our children? Surely the former!

So when developing children, there’s a few levels:

Identity + Activity (be + do)

1. Identity as absolutely beloved
2. Self as displaying God (involuntarily and voluntarily)
   1. but my selfish desires aren’t God’s desires..
   2. some desires are built in, and are part of God’s creation & personal knowing of me, and plan for my life.
3. Activity as displaying God (involuntarily & voluntarily)
4. Activity as God’s desire over self-desire(?)
   1. not as “pleasing God”, for what can a mand do to please God that Jesus has not already done?
   2. self-importance diminished (?)
5. Life as difficult (Jesus’ statements on reality & how to live it)
   1. God as overcoming, transcendent over creation & pain
   2. Also immanent through the Spirit and Incarnation.