April 29 1996

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Somebody forgot to tell the kids in Lindy O'Brien's fourth-grade class that studying the Bible is supposed to be boring. When the Christian schoolteacher announces that it's time to review God's Word, 20 of her 23 students can't contain themselves, letting out whoops of glee usually reserved for recess or lunch.

That is because O'Brien uses an unconventional teaching method called HoneyWord, which uses cartoon characters and household objects to drive home complex theological concepts.

Instead of telling her kids to turn to a chapter and verse, O'Brien holds up a cartoon showing a monkey falling from a broken gymnasium exercise ring. Meanwhile, a frantic mouse attempts to catch the monkey in a bathtub. The cartoon looks baffling and even a bit silly to uninitiated adults, but for these MTV-generation kids, it's a flash card from heaven, conveying a treasure trove of biblical information and moral instruction.

"This is from Matthew 19 and Mark 10," says one student, analyzing the cartoon's happy hieroglyphics in less than two seconds. (In the HoneyWord Way, monkeys always point to Mark, and mice mean Matthew. The monkey's prominent feet and the mouse's bathtub signify chapter numbers.)

...

"God will never break his love for us," says one young scholar, beaming with joy and accomplishment. The kids want to continue talking about the monkey, divorce, and God's love. One young man is particularly interested in exploring Jesus' approach to the Pharisees. But O'Brien changes gears and grabs her box of Bible goodies.

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O'Brien holds up a picture of a bunch of grapes. First one, then two-dozen students yell out: "The time is ripe to believe in Jesus."

And then a Band-Aid: "I can go to heaven because Christ ...