My son, Conner, and I played our first game of chess last night. Of course, when I got started I figured that it would be associated with a lot of random moves and interesting variations on the rules. I was very surprised and impressed with him...
Conner is 6 years old. He's starting first grade in a couple of weeks. He saw a chess game on my computer and got it in his head to play it. This kid does not just play a few times and quit in frustration. He plays and plays and plays and plays until he masters a game. Last night he was proudly explaining to me how each piece moved and that he had his king protected.
During this, I taught him to use his pieces together to create forks and such. He is a quick study. He created some close calls for me that I almost missed, and a few that I did. I lost a knight to his devious little plans. Yet, I realized that he just showed me he is much smarter than anyone else ever gave him credit for.
For example, he and I have a bible study together. He is asking the questions like, who made churches? He wants to know why some people think heaven is a good place when you have to die to go there. He gets upset when other kids tell him that God doesn't like him or that there is no God. His first response is to tell them what he knows, and to even say the story in the Bible that supports his view on occasion.
So, I upped his lessons from the stories by themselves to the stories and a few companion scriptures. I try to theme them around something going on in his life: bullies, teasing, etc... I was praying with him last night and it dawned on me: many churches feel that children at his age should be put in a seperate classroom and given games to play that kinda sorta mention God and Jesus and the 10 commandments and the flood and maybe a scripture that they memorize. My son has the benefit of my experience and knowledge, plus that of any one else who visits. I work to teach him what those scriptures that he memorizes mean.
I also wonder if anyone realizes that, while he is playing his Nintendo DS during the grown-up's Bible study, that he is listening and learning. He will, before long, put together the things he hears and look for guidance about God and spiritual things. Who do you think he will talk to? The ones who didn't want to teach him, but wanted him to play games and learn simple things here and there, or the person who became his adoptive father (like Jesus, except without the cruxifixation, I hope), recognized he had the ability to learn and put things together, and worked hard to challenge him just a little bit each day in his thinking?
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that they are teaching him some things. He comes home from Sunday School with projects that have a scripture on them. He can explain what the Scripture means as well. It is just that when he and I study, it is a very different thing. It is like playing chess with him. He surprises me, learns fast, combines techniques, and often surprises me. He may be 6, but if he can teach himself chess, does anyone have the right to deny him a spiritual education at his potential? Even if they are well-meaning?
Remind me not to challenge this tyke. I'm sure he'd wipe up the board with me. I suspect that, as part of a child's regimen, chess does a youngster a lot of good.
But I knew two extraordinary chess players. One could see ahead 32 moves, the other 30. They'd sit down at the board together, the pieces as yet untouched. They'd concentrate for all they were worth. Finally, one would tell the other "I've got you checkmated in 24 moves." The other would survey the board, see that it was so, and hold out his hand in congratulations. "Great game," he's say.
Posted by: Tom Sheepandgoats | July 31, 2010 at 11:02 AM