Lulu, a six-year-old Scottish girl wrote a letter to God asking him how he got invented?” Lulu's father, not a believer, sent her letter to church leaders: the Scottish Episcopal Church (no reply), the Presbyterians (no reply), and the Scottish Catholics (who sent a theologically complex reply). He also sent it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent the following letter: Dear Lulu: Your dad sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It is 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 beautiful or mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they had not expected. They invented ideas about me – some of them sensible, some of them not very sensible.
At times I sent them some hints – especially the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I am really like. But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. 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!’
Then he would send you lots of love and sign off. I know he does not usually write letters, so I must do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.
Archbishop Rowan – from a news story in the Telegraph
This is what I call real theology! It shows us we do not need theological specialists to make the faith more complicated and obscure, but to help us grasp how simple it is?
