The Playground

...and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God."

Matthew 19:14
Mark 10:14
Luke 18:16

I often note that I have to say something at least three times before my children take me seriously. I wonder if God feels the same way about us.

I am so proud of the kids I know. When I ask them a question and they don't know the answer, they aren't afraid of saying, "I don't know." It's merely a statement of fact that they don't know, not an admission of inferiority. I wish I could say as much for some of the adults I know. Adults are so identified with what they know that not knowing something removes all sense of identity and they are left naked - and often embarrassed.

Also, I keep thinking it takes a lot of maturity for people to say, "Lets agree to disagree" and still remain friends. But I think I'm changing my mind on that. I know roughly a handful of adults who can civilly disagree on something big and still remain friends. Ironically, my fourth and fifth graders at church automatically answer correctly when I ask them what should Christians do when they disagree on what books to read or what holidays to celebrate or what foods to eat. They said, "Well, as long as they all love Jesus, what does the rest matter?" And they are right. We serve the same God.

So either the children are beyond their years in maturity, or the adults are sorely lacking, or maybe maturity isn't required at all. Maybe only innocence is.