Sometimes, I’m deeply envious of my three-year-old son. As a middle-aged man, there aren’t too many things in life that really excite me anymore. I’m not saying that I get no pleasure out of life, but that little things – like playing in dirt or running through a sprinkler – just don’t turn me on that much.

The other day, I set up a fun lawn sprinkler designed for children. It looked like some sort of caterpillar with many legs. I turned it on and it sprayed water in all directions, wiggling and gyrating wildly. My son screamed with delight and his face beamed with joy. I videotaped him having fun. He would run up to the sprinkler and jump up and down, while water splashed off his face and drenched his clothes. Then he would run up to my camera, screaming with delight. Over and over, he did this, until it was time to turn off the water and go inside.

I watched a movie recently. It wasn’t very good, so I don’t remember its title. But I do remember its main message: “You are who you are. You can’t be any different, so there’s no use in trying to change. Therefore, other people should understand that and accept you as you are.”

I thought, “Well if that’s true, Jesus’ teaching doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If we are who we are, then we cannot change, so we cannot repent. If it is impossible for us to change or to be anything other than who we are, then we can’t be blamed for doing bad or praised for doing good. God would therefore be in no position to judge us.”