Reflecting on Crozier's stories 2

Crozier shares another situation: "... I recall a conversation ... with one of my second-grade students about Jesus. My student was adamant that Jesus was still on the cross. I told him that I believed Jesus rose from the dead and is no longer on the cross. But that did not convince him. When I asked why he thought Jesus was still on the cross, he replied that he saw Him on the cross at his church. I responded, 'Oh, I see.' I didn't try to convince my student otherwise because that symbol in his church was very significant to him. I did not want to impart my beliefs that were disconnected from my student's experience, so I remained silent. What good would a cognitive response do in response to a highly affective affirmation?" (CS p. 287)

I found her response to this child and the question she asks a significant act of caring. Some might challenge this, believing that a different (cognitive) response would have demonstrated more caring. What do you think?

I also found myself wondering, why crosses come either as a crucifix where Jesus remains fixed to the cross or empty like He was never there? Why don't we have a cross with a removable Jesus, for kids of course :) ? Why not have a removable model of Jesus on the cross Good Friday and have it removed for Easter Sunday? Are there churches that do that?

She goes on, "Even though I had made a rational decision not to respond to my student's conviction, emotionally I felt as if his disagreement with me was based on a literal, concrete observation of Jesus. Thus, on some level I understood his disagreement to be based upon what he had tangibly observed and experienced. Then on another level Iwondered about the church's reponsibilittiy in using symboolic representations of the divine that do not necessarily come from children. Did the icon of Jesus on the cross become a static representation to my student or was it something different? Could it have been both static and dynamic at the same time? What other symbols would be present if children were allowed to display their understanding of Jesus in the sanctuary? What contribution could children make to Christianity's understanding of Jesus and God?" (CS p. 287)