Thanks very much for your letter. It is now nearly three weeks since
it reached me but you will, I am sure, forgive tardiness in replying:
those three weeks have been so very full of work.
Of course I have no objection to your teaching Vallie a prayer. Why
should I have? Only please teach him one thing: that his prayer may not
be answered and that if it isn't, he must not think that God is cruel
or unmindful. "Thy will be done" is the safety valve in all prayer and
a believer in God must surely think--if they do not say--those words as
a part of every prayer. In the case of a child I think they should be
said.
I would be grateful if you would not muddle his little brain with
trinitarian dogma. I have nothing against the trinity idea except that
it is puzzling and quite unnecessary. It's all right for an artist or
a mystic--it can have a symbolic meaning which is most grateful but
I think it should not be taught. One can be a lover of God without
going into the matters of the definition of Christ; and all such
difficulties. If Vallie grows up a poet or a mystic, he will fight into
those problems for himself. I would rather he had the chance to do so
unguided. If he is going to grow up an engineer or a farmer, he will be
no poorer for never having been troubled with them.
If I don't come home you may--I mean: _Please will you_--teach him the
Sermon on the Mount and "The Lord is my Shepherd" etc., but I have
always looked forward to teaching him these myself and still hope to do
so--this coming winter too.