February 14, 2025
Listen to it
How do we explain God’s origin? Children’s questions often prompt adults to reflect more deeply. The key here is to respond with empathy, clarity, and honesty.
Children often ask big questions. One of them is: “Who made God?” Questions like this reveal a child’s sense of wonder and curiosity about understanding the world and faith. The answer to this is not always straightforward, for it touches upon one of the deepest mysteries of our faith: God is eternal, without beginning or end. Depending on the children’s age, different answers can be given that are appropriate to their level of understanding and encourage them to continue exploring God and faith.
Regardless of age, it is important that we respond to questions from children and young people with empathy and honesty. Faith does not mean knowing all the answers but trusting in God’s love and constancy. The question of God’s origin can therefore be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on faith together and to deepen our relationship with God.
Talking to children about God
Young children experience the world in concrete, visual terms. One way to explain God is to compare Him to the light of the sun: it is there every day, and no one can switch it on or off. Bible stories that show God’s love and care give a sense of security. The notion of God’s eternity should be connected with positive feelings for them such as warmth and safety.
Sample answer: “God has always existed. He made everything we can see: the sky above us, the sun, and the stars. Nobody created God. He is far greater and more powerful than anything we know.”
Primary school age children are eager to know where things come from and how they came about. It can help to explain that God is unlike anything we know: He is the Creator but was not Himself created. Comparisons with things that have no beginning and no end, such as a circle or the idea of time, can be helpful.
Sample answer: “Everything in the world has a beginning, but God is different. He created everything and has always existed. Imagine a circle. It has no beginning and no end, just like God.”
With teenagers, conversations can go deeper, exploring the notion of eternity and the concept of God existing outside of space and time. It may also help to emphasise that God is not bound by the laws of creation. Open discussions about faith and doubt can be especially meaningful when parents and children search for answers together, for example in the Bible or through conversation.
Sample answer: “God has always been there and always will be. The Bible teaches that God is the ‘I Am’. He simply exists and is without limits.”
Photo: Ольга Симонова – stock.adobe.com
About the author
Maraike Finnern is a teacher and school counsellor at a primary school in Hamburg, Germany. She heads the Working Group Children and Teaching for the Regional Church of Northern and Eastern Germany.
