We give them the language of faith – God, Jesus, stories in the Bible, the Church – as we would give them the paint and the paper and let them go with it.
When Jesus said that one had to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of God I think he was trying to awaken in his disciples an aspect of spirituality or faith that adults often lose – that is an open ended, nonjudgmental and intuitive sense of awe and wonder.
. . . let questions be opportunities to explore – instead of trying to come up with the answer, ask questions to further stimulate the child’s imagination. “Is God a man?” This could solicit a panic to get it right or to educate our children on the evils of patriarchy, but it could simply be an invitation to explore images of God.
With the youth in confirmation and with adults I say the theological task is not to come up with the answers but to articulate better questions. With children it isn't to tell them what to believe but to awaken their spiritual imaginations. It isn't as if we have to put God in them – God is already there.
Pastor Jim