Theology With A Tiger

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I’ve always loved reading Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes. In fact, I can attribute much of what I am today to two adults (my Mother and Father), one perpetually young kid (Calvin, named after John Calvin) and one insanely intelligent and good looking tiger (Hobbes, named after Thomas Hobbes). That might be scary to some of you, I know, but it is what it is. For those of you not familiar with the strip, Calvin is the dreamer and philosopher while Hobbes; his imaginary tiger (or is he?) plays the realist.

During one staff meeting a few years ago Rick (now at Explore Church) and I had this crazy idea that we would bring lots of random things to the meeting to try and stimulate our creativity. So we brought play dough, crayons and doodling paper, our X-Boxes and, yes, you guessed it—a couple of Calvin and Hobbes books. I don’t know how many good ideas came out of that hour or so, but it was one of my favorite staff meetings ever.

I remember reading one of the strips in which Calvin and Hobbes are lying in bed. In the first panel Calvin asks, “I wonder why man was put on the earth. What’s our purpose? Why are we here?” In the second panel Hobbes turns to him and says matter-of-factly, “Tiger food.” In the third he grins at Calvin, who is taking in his comment. And finally, in the last panel, Calvin lies awake, with a worried look on his face and one eye on his tiger, as Hobbes peacefully sleeps. Existential musings from a 7 year old. How could you not love that?

I mean, I’ve had a few teachers like Miss Wormwood in my life and growing up I remember a few Susie Derkins. In fact, without revealing names one time in Kindergarten I was wrestled to the ground by an uber-aggressive female First Grader where I found a kiss forcibly planted on my lips while I screamed and shouted in protest.

I also treated my babysitters poorly, as Calvin did Rosalyn. I can remember one night refusing to come out of the bathroom the whole time my parents were gone and other times tying my babysitters to a chair and pretending they were damsels in distress. I usually got them untied after an hour or so.*

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, my life would not be the same were it not for the exploits of Spaceman Spiff or for the wonderful carefree sport of Calvinball. As a future political science major I also conducted and interpreted polls on my Dad’s performance as a Father as I grew up, much to his chagrin. Sorry about that, Dad. Hopefully Aidan and Gavin won’t get any bright ideas.

And finally, if there was one thing I could change about my physical appearance I always wished my hair could have resembled Calvin’s amazing cut.

*In honor of the snow this week I’d also like to give a shout out to the whole Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons storyline. Brilliant.