Letter to God

Teachers at a Scottish church primary school asked children to write the following letter:

“To God,
How did you get invented?”

Alex Renton, a British journalist and non-believing father of one of the children emailed the letter to various church institutions, with very little response, if any: to the Scottish Episcopal Church (no reply), the Presbyterians (ditto) and the Scottish Catholics (a nice but theologically complex answer).

Finally he also sent the letter to “the head of theology of the Anglican Communion, based at Lambeth Palace”. Here is the response she got:

Dear Lulu,

Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –

‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.

Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.

But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’

And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off.

I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.

+Archbishop Rowan

The journalist’s mother’s response was: ‘Well done, Rowan!’ I agree. That is why I love the head of my church.

What do you think?

(Source, HERE. Thanks to George Dumitriu for sending me the link.)

You may also find the details on Alex Renton’s blog.

Advertisement