Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses was first published in 1885. It is a collection of poetry for children. Think of it is a precursor to something many of us are probably familiar with, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. However, there is a difference. Some of Stevenson’s poems, while cute enough for a child to enjoy, have an irony that even adults can appreciate.

My favorite is called, “System.” Stevenson grew up in a Calvinist home and ended up rejecting the theology of his father. However, one wonders if Stevenson knew what he was rejecting. Based upon the following poem, he seems to see Christianity as a “tit for tat” religion–God rewards the faithful and punishes the wicked. Stevenson doesn’t buy it, as you can tell from the poem:

Every night my prayers I say,
And get my dinner every day;
And every day that I’ve been good,
I get an orange after food.

The child that is not clean and neat,
With lots of toys and things to eat,
He is a naughty child, I’m sure–
Or else his dear papa is poor.

Stevenson was right to notice that bad things happen to those who are faithful (see Job).  However, he was wrong to imply that Christianity boils down to a system of earthly rewards and punishments won or lost by us.  We have lost everything because of our sin while Christ has won everything because of His righteousness.  The glory of the Gospel is what some have called the Great Exchange: Christ’s reward is given to the church and the purnishment we deserve He took upon Himself.  If only Stevenson had written and believed a different poem entitled, “Grace.”

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