My toddler son is very into good guys and bad guys. Amazingly, he can name scores of good and bad Star Wars and Marvel super hero characters by name. And to top it all off, he frequently leaves the house in costumes that range from Darth Vader to Spiderman. 

One summer morning, I had to swing by our local auto shop, with three kids in tow, to get my tire patched. My son was wearing his Captain America mask and holding his Captain America shield when a nice man started talking with him in the waiting room. They went back and forth for a minute or two about the costume my son was wearing. I smiled and laughed.

Then, as we were leaving the auto shop, my son turned to me and said, “He a good man, Mommy, he a good man!” I replied, “Yes, he is a good man.” And the man looked me square in the eye and said, “Thank you.”

I was taken aback by the man’s response because, honestly, I just thought it was nice for someone to talk with my son about his super hero costume. But it struck me shortly afterwards that he might have been thanking me for much more. You see, my son did not look at this man and pay attention to the color of his skin. He had no way of judging his religion, his wealth, or his age. My toddler son paid attention to the man’s kindness, his character, and his interest in comic book characters.

I know that bad guys exist in real life, not just in sci-fi and fantasy worlds. We are reminded of this daily during the morning and evening news. And although I try to talk to my children about bad strangers and good strangers, I am proud to see my children recognizing goodness by the soul of another, not by his outward appearance.

As parents, we have an obligation to teach our children about good and bad. Specifically, we must make changes in our own lives to promote the kindness and peace that our country truly needs. Psalm 37:37 says, “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.” So let’s join together, observe the upright, and seek peace. Never fear, Captain America is here to help us.

~Think on These Things~

Natalie

“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the size of his heart.” ~Zeus from Disney’s Hercules