Visiting Hunter at Hasboro Hospital

I let Hunter put on my sun glasses while he waited for the Nurse to check his medicines.




Hunter is a precocious young kindergarten student who was in Hasboro Children's Hospital this week following emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Some of you will recall Hunter from our Preschool, as well as his memorable performance at his younger brother's baptism, where he introduced the Godparents and his parents, and Me, to the congregation.

This week his grandmother called, and asked if I would go see him at the Hospital. I arrived about an hour after various tubes were removed (good thing, you know how I don't do well with this stuff) and just as two Clowns from a local Circus were completing a very entertaining routine. As they left, Hunter greeted me, and proceeded to show me various magic tricks.

But here was the amazing thing about this visit. It was profoundly spiritual and theological. At one point, I asked Hunter if he'd like me to pray for him. He wasn't so sure about that, and shook his head. "Hmmm, I thought to myself, what's up?" So i suggested a prayer saying: Thank you for his feeling better. Well, that would be o.k.

Later we talked about the big question on his mind, which I will summarize in my words, not his. It was essentially: "Why do Bad things Happen to Good People, like me." I explained that God didn't cause Germs or bad things to happen to him, rather that God was sad when he was in pain, but God was now happy. Happy that he was feeling better. I even suggested that God had come to visit him today in the form of those two Clowns. He thought about that, didn't say anything for a while.

On the way home, I thought this kid is asking the same questions people ask whether they are 5 or 15 or 45 or 95. Amazing, wonderful, profound, good stuff, tough questions, no easy answers, but hanging in with the mystery of Life and Faith and Hope.

Basically, I'm trying to describe Incarnational Theology of the Cross to a 5 year old, and on some level, I think he got it.

If you'd like to send Hunter a get well card his address is
66 Oak Street Apt 2
Westerly RI 02891