Darn you, Rick Perry!

So I try to avoid both religion and politics for the most part on this blog.  But today the news cycle caught up with me in a big way.  Rick Perry pulled out of the race.  I am neither surprised nor saddened by this, but here is a piece of what he said in his endorsement of candidate Newt Gingrich:

". . . . And Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?  The fact is, there is forgiveness for those who seek God and I believe in the power of redemption. . . . " {I checked this quote transcript on a few sites and all seem to have it this way}

I was listening to this on the car radio (yes it was NPR).  I did an immediate knee-jerk think in my head of "really?  forgiveness only for those who seek God? Might it also be necessary to seek out, say, those you may have wronged and maybe ask their forgiveness?"  I was in the middle of this thought when a voice piped up from the back seat:

"What's God?"

My thought: "Oh Crap."  I haven't prepared for this one.

So Lucy and I had a little talk about God.  Thanks, Rick Perry.  Thanks, Newt! 

I started by asking what Lucy already knew.  Here's a rough transcript of the conversation:

Lucy: Sometimes we say "God" when we say grace before dinner.

Me: Yes, that's right.  And what else have you heard about God?

Lucy: Beezus talks to God when she does the thing before bed.

[explanatory note: "Beezus" refers to a character in the Beverly Cleary Ramona series, which is very popular here.  She pays very close attention to these stories; me, not so much.  I need to pay a bit more attention, but I'm assuming she's not making this up.]

Me: Oh. I didn't know that.  Beezus is praying.  What else?

Lucy: God makes wishes come true. 

Me: Oh, uh, well, not quite....

Lucy (interrupting): He has a magic wand!  He makes dreams come true!

Me: Oh wow.  I don't know about that.  We should talk more about this.....

Thereafter ensued a lot of fumbling trying to sort out the notion of different people's beliefs and separating them from a sort of Disney fairy tale.  It was all a bit awkward.  And quite confusing, for both of us.

Later, we had this exchange:

Lucy: Mommy, what's a lawyer?

Me: What makes you ask that? 

Lucy: Miss Judith [a teacher at school] always asks me if my mommy is a lawyer.  And today she asked me if my daddy is a lawyer.  But I told her that my mommy is a teacher and my daddy works at Seven, the bike place.

So I explained what a lawyer is.  It was slightly easier than attempting to explain God. 

I can't imagine why a teacher would think that she's related to lawyers.

Here's hoping no one has to be cross-examined by Lucy.