Tonight at bedtime we finished one of our three favorite kids' Bibles, The Step-by-Step Bible. Like any good evangelical kids' Bible it includes a summary page and closes with an invitation to ask Jesus to take away your sins.
The third to last paragraph talks about how Jesus was the promised Messiah for Israel to take away their sins. Davis asks, "Why does God take away our sins?" I explain to Davis that unless God takes away our sins we can't be with God in heaven or live with Him on earth. "Oh," Davis replies.
The next paragraph talked about Jesus' life, death and resurrection and how he has sent his Holy Spirit to guide us. Davis asks, "Why does he guide us?" I explain that we need his help and guidance to live with God and please him and that the Holy Spirit does this by living inside of us.
Davis: "Does he live in our stomachs?"
Daddy: "No, he lives in our hearts, but not..."
Aidan (interrupting): "Yeah, he lives right here." (Pointing to the upper left side of his chest)
Davis (With his shirt now pulled up and pointing to the base of his neck below his adam's apple): "Does he live here?"
Daddy: "No, he doesn't live in our bodies, he lives in your spiritual heart, your, ah, soul."
Davis: "Where is our soul?"
Daddy: "It's inside you. You can't see it."
Aidan: "I can see it."
Daddy: "No one can see their soul."
Aidan: "I can. If I cut myself open right here." (Again pointing to his chest)
Daddy: "No, you can't cut yourself open and see your soul."
Davis (Still with his shirt pulled up): "What if I cut here?" (Pointing somewhere between his neck and stomach)
Daddy: "Nope. You can't cut anywhere and see your soul. It's spiritual and so is the Holy Spirit."
Aidan: "What if I cut my adam's apple open?"
Daddy (Now sensing that this conversation is starting to drift from its original location): "Let's get back to the Bible."