Can you see the sun?

The boy crinkled his nose, deep in thought.

Suddenly, his expression became softer and his furrowed brows returned to their regular position. ‘But…’ he paused. ‘I don’t get why we can’t just see these things…wouldn’t everyone believe then?’

Adil had been creating a mound of sandy soil between his rubber sandals as he spoke. His dusty feet slowed their outward-inward motion as he awaited his Dada’s response. They had been walking for around 30 minutes or so when Adil’s grandfather had motioned to a chunky log they could sit on to rest briefly — before continuing their weekly forest walk. This was one of the larger logs they’d seen and it looked freshly cut: the blunt ends of the log revealed perfectly round discs that reminded him of parathas. Huge parathas.

This was the last remaining strip of land in their area that was due to be cut down to make way for more housing. Adil could tell how much his grandfather would miss the place by each sigh he heard behind him as he hopscotched ahead. He’d often turn around to find Dada leaning on his walking stick and looking up at the huge boughs like he may not get the chance to look at those particular trees again.

Adil bent down, examining a stick to see if it could qualify as a walking stick of his own. Dada responded, ‘there are heavenly realms, Adil. God created everything you can see and ever will see and everything you can’t see and won’t ever see in this realm – at least not with those eyes’, he tapped the top of Adil’s nose with two fingers, smiling as Adil opened his eyes. He’d motioned to his grandson’s two muddy brown eyes, playfully darting towards them with his index and middle finger and Adil had shut his eyes firmly, grinning at how fast his reflexes were. ‘God chose that he’d do things this way and wants us to learn to trust him with what we can’t see as well as with what we can see.’

Adil started shaping his little sand hill, his khaki green sandals turning a pastel shade because of the dryness of the soil he was coating them in.

‘D’you think that when Jesus was here…on earth…he might have walked through this forest like we are now? That would be really cool if he did’ Adil bent down to begin shaping his shallow mound with his hands.

‘I don’t think so, as he lived in a different country far far away – way before there were planes. But – I do think Jesus is here right now.’

Adil stopped, looking up, ‘Right now?’ he asked, his eyes moving around the ground around him as he registered this information. ‘But we’re not at church Dada’ he replied, breaking into a smile like the one he smiled that time he’d gotten one of his grandfather’s riddles. Adil continued to shape his mound, biting his bottom lip in concentration. He’d found a deposit of looser soil in a section of ground that was just beneath the ground Dada’s flip flops were resting on and he’d committed to quarrying it to the main mound-building site with cupped palms. His grandfather laughed.

‘Can you see the sun Adil?’

‘Not right now’ he responded, squinting at the clear, almost white skies.

‘But do you believe it’s there?’

‘Yeah, but it’s because I’ve seen it before Dada! It hurts my eyes to look at it though…and mummy says I mustn’t look straight at it or I may go blind’

His grandfather laughed again. ‘Your mother is very wise. Listen to her Adil.’

‘Why did you ask me if I can see the sun?’

His grandfather looked at him, smiling. ‘Do you believe that night will fall and the sun will come up again tomorrow?’

‘Well of course! You’ve been alive for a really really really really really really really long time right? I’m sure you’ve seen lots of sunsets and sunrises.’

His grandfather ruffled Adil’s hair, chuckling. His grandson saw him as absolutely ancient.

‘As surely as night will fall and the sun will come up tomorrow, one day you will see God face to face and eye to eye. For now, however, he’s here with us through his Spirit.’

Adil’s nose crinkled again. ‘Is that like the part of us that lives forever? God has one of those too?’

‘Yes. It certainly is. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence that comes to live in everyone who believes in him. Know that he’s a ‘he’ rather than an ‘it’ and he’s the kindest, most powerful friend I have.’

Adil paused. He knew his Dada knew a lot of powerful people. He’d seen pictures of him when he was in the military with all his badges.

‘He has a sword right?’

Dada paused, confused.

‘Miss Pooja said that there’s a sword-of-the-Spirit’ Adil pulled out an invisible lightsaber-type sword from the waistband of his creased linen shorts, jabbing Dada’s torso with it on ‘Spirit’. Dada swiftly moved his torso to the side to avoid the onslaught of jabs, gasping to indicate he’d been pierced through. Adil withdrew and pointed his invisible sword in a motion that was in rhythm with each syllable of ‘sword of the Spirit’ in the air.

His grandfather stood up, leaning on his walking stick and holding his ‘wounded’ side. He was ready to begin their walk back to the main road. If they left now, he would be able to drop Adil off before the afternoon would be over.

Adil sliced the top of his mound off with his sword before returning the weapon to the waistband of his shorts. While patting the mound down flat again, he collected a handful of soil for the journey. He wanted to release it between his fingers, bit by bit, so that he could watch it disperse like a sand timer. He estimated that he probably had ten minute’s worth of sandy soil in his hand. Okay maybe more like 5 minutes. Or 2 minutes. He’d have to release it very very slowly as Dada liked to walk at a pace that was almost slower than his baby brother Avram – and he was just learning to walk!

‘The Sword of the Spirit is a powerful mind picture for God’s word, Adil. As sharp and powerful as your sword is, God’s words in the bible can change, create, and release things in both our realm and the heavenly realm I mentioned earlier.’

Adil’s grandfather motioned a sharp weapon coming from his mouth into the air, darting his arm in front of him. Adil imagined a sword (like the ones in the Samurai movie he’d seen with his cousins) shooting out from Dada’s mouth.

‘The sword of the Spirit is just one of our pieces of armour as believers and it’s and one of the tools God has given us to help us win our battles against evil beings that don’t want God’s will to happen in the earth.’

‘We were speaking about this in Miss Pooja’s lesson in Sunday School Dada – evil spirits and powers – kind of like the villains in power rangers but we just can’t see them.’

‘Exactly!’

‘What about all the other pieces of armour Dada? Miss Pooja had to go quickly as we had to enter big people’s service for Youth Sunday but can you explain what a breastplate is? Why would God make a plate for boobs’. Adil giggled, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

‘Of course I’ll explain.’

Adil and his grandfather walked slowly along, the warm summer air beginning to smell faintly of street food as they neared the main road.

Adil had regularly been running ahead and coming up with actions for the pieces of armour Miss Pooja hadn’t gotten the chance to share yet.

He couldn’t wait to show her his shield of faith and how strong it was. It could put out EVERY kind of fire-tipped arrow of bad thoughts.

God sure was kind to give all believers – even the little ones- their own armour! Armour that would fit us just right! Adults sometimes forgot about children but not God.

God was like Dada in that way.

Adil smiled to himself as they waited to cross the busy main road.

He couldn’t wait to try out his armour on his own.

He’d feedback to Dada when they met again next Monday after school.

For now, it was go time.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”