King and Soldiers

A presentation on the Flight into Egypt took an unexpected turn as some of the third graders considered King Herod's order to kill the innocent children in Bethlehem. They wondered, “Who is responsible for the sinfulness of the killing - King Herod, the soldiers who did it, or both? If a soldier was just following the king's orders, was that wrong? The soldier could have been punished, even killed, if he had refused to follow the king's orders. But the soldier could have refused, or have found another way not to carry out the order.” This interesting discussion revealed the growing interest in justice and moral behavior in the elementary age child.