He was 9in a Sunday school class of 8-year-olds. Eight-year-olds can be cruel.
The third-graders did not welcome Philip to their group. Not just because he was older. He was different. He suffered from Downs syndrome1 and its obvious manifestation2s: facial characteristics, slow responses, symptoms of retardation4.
One Sunday after Easter the Sunday school teacher gathered some of those plastic eggs that pull apart in the middlethe kind in which some ladies pantyhose are packaged.
The Sunday school teacher gave one of these plastic eggs to each child.
On that beautiful spring day each child was to go outdoors and discover for himself some symbol of new life and place that symbolic5 seed or leaf or whatever inside his egg.
They would then open their eggs one by one, and each youngster would explain how his find was a symbol of new life.
So
The youngsters gathered round on the appointed day and put their eggs on a table, and the teacher began to open them.
One child had found a flower. All the children oohed and aahed at the lovely symbol of new life. In another was a butterfly. Beautiful, the girls said. And its not easy for an 8-year-old to say beautiful.
Another egg was opened to reveal a rock. Some of the children laughed. Thats crazy! one said. Hows a rock supposed to be like a new life
Immediately the little boy spoke6 up and said, Thats mine. I knew everybody would get flowers and leaves and butterflies and all that stuff, so I got a rock to be different.
Everyone laughed.
The teacher opened the last one, and there was nothing inside.
Thats not fair, someone said. Thats stupid, said another.
Teacher felt a tug7 on his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up he said, Its mine. I did do it. Its empty. I have new life because the tomb is empty.
The class fell silent.
From that day on Philip became part of the group. They welcomed him. Whatever had made him different was never mentioned again.
Philips family had known he would not live a long life; just too many things wrong with the tiny body. That summer, overcome with infection, Philip died.
On the day of his funeral nine 8-year-old boys and girls confronted the reality of death and marched up to the altarnot with flower. Nine children with their Sunday school teacher placed on the casket of their friend their gift of lovean empty egg.
Questions:
1. Why didnt the the third-graders like Philip
2. Whats the Philips new life wish
The answers of last week are:
1. It will die.
2. hold hands and stick together.
