I Just Smite

My nine-year-old son was experiencing wierd ankle pain today. I'm pretty sure he just played too hard and over extended something, but he was limping and moaning so he stayed home from school and I made a late morning dr.'s appointment for him.

Prior to the Dr. Appointment, he accompanied me to the monthly gathering of the Academic Suburb Interfaith Council. The meeting began with someone offering a reading from Exodus 12 and some thoughts on our work together in these days leading up to Easter and Passover. This text records God's command to remember the great thing that is about to take place: God will smite the first-born of the Egyptians and pass over the first-born of the Hebrews.

My son has certainly heard the story of Moses, Pharoah and the Exodus before--but I'm not sure he's ever heard it read straight from the bible rather than mediated through paraphrased, cheerfully illustrated Sunday School curricula.

As we drove from the meeting to the Doctor he remarked:

"You know that part of the bible that guy was reading at first? That part where God says he's going to smite all the first-born sons in Egypt?"

Yes? I said.

"Well . . . . don't you think that's a little dark for Him?"

Wait till he reads Revelation.