It’s one thing explaining other religions to your children but quite another when you are required to explain your own!

DS2: ‘Mummy, how old was Jesus when he died?’

Me: ’33 years old.’

DS2: ‘No Mummy, how old would he be now if he weren’t ‘deaded’?’

Me: ‘Ehhh…..over 2,ooo years…..’ I responded just as DS1 interjected.

DS1: ‘2,536 years old’ he stated quite authoritatively.  ‘Was Jesus married?’ he followed up.

Me: ‘No, not that we know.’

My instinct told me where this might be headed.  My attempt to gently try to steer the conversation away from death failed.

DS1: ‘Mummy, how did Jesus die?’

I glanced at DH and bowed my head.  How was I going to explain ‘crucifixion’ without explaining the entire life story of Jesus, and all without giving my kids nightmares about nails in hands.

DH, the only non-denominational person in the family, blurted out ‘He was nailed to a cross.’

My glance turned into a full on death glare as my mind scrambled to think how to explain why/how someone would be nailed to a cross.

‘Hmmmm….but crucifixion itself probably wasn’t the actual cause of death’, I muttered to DH.  ‘Could have been anything from dehydration, septecemia, heart attack.  I had never really thought about that before.’

But for the children, it seemed, honest explanations as to nails and entry points at the hands and feet were sufficient.  Once they had the full picture, they began to discuss it amongst themselves, with DS1 announcing that it would have been ‘very bad’ if the nails had been put in his eyes!!!!