Baptism

         Last month in church, I learned about how we must be like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven: free of sin (through Christ's grace,) innocent, and faithful. I immediately thought of my little sister, Mary. She's almost two years old now and she is the perfect picture of innocence. She doesn't understand the obvious filth of media or subliminal pornography of politics; she just plays outside or watches Sleeping Beauty.
         I tried to keep my thoughts positive, but there in the pew, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen to her. She was too young to know Jesus or fully understand His martyrdom, but she was also too young to understand sin, therefore, she was sinless as far as I knew.
         Annoyed, I asked Pastor Chris after service. He smiled and patted my shoulder.
         "Don't think of such things, son. God loves your sister, even more than you do, and would never let anything happen to her."
         I was unsatisfied.
         "But just what if something did happen?" I asked.
         A tiny hint of irritation crept into his smile, but he answered, "God loves children, and if one passes, they go up to Heaven and sometimes even become angels." Satisfied with his answer, he walked away and began laughing and gossiping with the choir.
         I lied in bed awake for hours that night, thinking about how many people would spend eternity in Hell, burning. It was nice to know that Mary was safe for now. But what if she wasn't a Christian when she got older? In the long run wouldn't it be safer for her to die now?
         For the next week I thought and prayed constantly about Mary. I was afraid, but God helped me through, and on Sunday, before church, He gave me an answer.
         I was afraid I might go to Hell for breaking a commandment, even if God told me to, but like Jesus, I loved Mary enough to be a martyr, enough to sacrifice my own soul to keep her's safe. I waited until Mama was putting on her Sunday dress, then I got my baseball bat from the garage, snuck into Mary's room, and saved my sister.