Chapter 18 - “THEN WHY DO PEOPLE FIGHT ABOUT IT?”Thomas did not give the children a sermon.
He told them a story.
“When I was teaching,” he began, “I had two students who argued about almost everything.”
“Like Clara and me?” Noah asked.
Clara elbowed him.
Thomas smiled.
“Much worse.”
“One thought the other was stupid.”
“That's mean,” Clara said.
“Yes.”
“The other thought the first was arrogant.”
“Maybe he was.”
“Possibly.”
Thomas continued.
“They stopped listening to each other.”
“Why?”
“Because both were busy defending themselves.”
Noah frowned.
“What happened?”
“I gave them a project together.”
“That sounds cruel.”
“Teachers are creative.”
The adults laughed.
“At first, they argued even more. Then they learned something.”
“What?”
“They didn't disagree about everything.”
Clara tilted her head.
“So?”
“Once they stopped treating each other like enemies, the disagreements became smaller than the people.”
Elena liked that phrase.
Clara didn't.
“What does that mean?”
“It means sometimes we turn a person into one thing we disagree with.”
Thomas pointed toward Noah.
“If Clara only saw ‘Baptist,’ she would miss Noah.”
Then Clara.
“If Noah only saw ‘Catholic,’ he'd miss Clara.”
Noah nodded.
“She's also bossy.”
Clara elbowed him again.
Thomas continued.
“People fight for many reasons. Sometimes because beliefs genuinely matter. Sometimes because they think something harmful is happening. Sometimes because they misunderstand each other.”
“And sometimes?” Rachel asked.
Thomas looked at her.
“Because being right feels powerful.”
The room quieted.
Mark crossed his arms.
“That isn't just religion.”
“No.”
“Politics.”
“Yes.”
“Families.”
“Yes.”
“Everything.”
“Pretty much.”
Elena asked:
“So what do we tell them? That truth doesn't matter?”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
“That nobody should argue?”
“No.”
“That disagreement is bad?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Thomas looked toward the children.
“Maybe teach them the difference between defending an idea and dehumanizing a person.”
Noah frowned.
“De-human… what?”
“Treating someone like they're less important because they're different.”
“Oh.”
Clara said:
“Like saying Noah is bad because he's Baptist.”
“Yes.”
Noah added:
“Or Clara is bad because she's Catholic.”
“Yes.”
“But what if I think she's wrong about something?”
“You can say so.”
Clara pointed.
“And I can say he's wrong?”
“Yes.”
“Without hating him?”
“Yes.”
Noah looked relieved.
“That's easy.”
Every adult laughed.
“What?” he asked.
Thomas smiled.
“It should be.”
Later, outside the church, Clara and Noah sat on the steps.
The adults stayed several yards away.
Clara swung her feet.
“Do you think I'm wrong?”
“About what?”
“Catholic stuff.”
“Some.”
She nodded.
“I think you're wrong about some Baptist stuff.”
“Okay.”
Neither reacted.
Then Clara said:
“I still don't know which mom is right.”
Noah shrugged.
“Maybe that's not the biggest question anymore.”
Clara looked at him.
“What is?”
He thought.
“How do we act when we think we're right?”
Clara stared.
“That sounds like something Mr. Avery would say.”
“I know.”
“You're becoming old.”
“I'm nine.”
They laughed.
Then Noah became serious.
“My dad said he was taught wrong things about Catholics.”
“My dad said same about Baptists.”
“Do you think we'll do that?”
“Teach our kids wrong things?”
“Yeah.”
Clara thought.
“Probably.”
Noah looked horrified.
“Why?”
“Because our moms say adults make mistakes.”
“That doesn't mean we have to.”
Clara smiled.
“Okay. Then we try not to.”
Noah nodded.
“Deal.”
He held out his hand.
Clara shook it.
Then she asked:
“Can we still pray for each other?”
Noah looked surprised.
“Why wouldn't we?”
“I don't know.”
“Sure.”
“What would you pray?”
Noah considered.
“That you don't get sick again.”
“Me too.”
“And that you stop being bossy.”
Clara pulled her hand away.
“Deal canceled.”
Noah laughed.
From across the parking lot, Elena watched them.
Rachel came beside her.
“What are they doing?”
“Probably solving Christianity.”
Rachel smiled.
“Good. We were struggling.”
They stood together.
Neither had changed denominations.
Neither had stopped believing strongly.
May you like
Yet the fear between them was gone.
And that mattered more than either expected.
