Rebel children, I urge you, fight the turgid slick of conformity with which they seek to smother your glory. ― Russell Brand
When I’m witness to one of my children losing it over some ridiculously innocuous moment…for instance, this morning when my daughter laid into me because I didn’t cut her banana exactly the way she wanted me to…I often chuckle to myself and think this is surely not what Jesus meant when he said you must be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Initially, my mind wants to discount his wisdom and remind me that to the best of our knowledge, Jesus never raised a gaggle of children. But in fact, he was not the only spiritual master to suggest we should become more childlike in our approach to a spiritual practice.
So, I’ve recently spent some time in observation of my children, reflecting over what these masters might be trying to gently nudge us towards. Quite frankly, it is stunning to witness the mental, psychological, and emotional agility children have that is diminished in so many of us.
Here is my abbreviated list of their virtues:
Honesty
Young children do not hold back offering up their observations about people or situations. They will tell you point blank that your breath stinks or that they hate what they are being asked to eat. They will also tell on themselves…until they figure out being honest about their transgressions might get them in trouble. Although I agree with taming the brutality of their honesty, I respect the person who can forego convention and say the words no one wants to hear, yet warrants being uttered.
Forgiveness
I’ve yet to meet a young child that holds a grudge. Based on what I’ve seen in my own children, they get upset, they emote, they get over it, and they get on with it. In fact, I don’t even think forgiving is part of their early mental framework. My experience has been that children skip this step entirely. My theory as to why children are readily able to forgive is primarily because they’ve not yet learned to judge other people. They seem to just get back into the moment, without making reference to what’s occurred in the past.
Creativity
I find myself so impressed with children’s creative genius. They want to take in and manipulate everything around them. From their perspective, anything is possible. They imagine it and make it so. In this respect, they also have a remarkable ability to problem solve. I’ve had more than one experience with my daughter in which she’s suggested a solution to a problem that I’ve poo-pooed because it didn’t fit within my concept of what’s possible. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I became receptive to trying, I’d find out she was, in fact, right.
Curiousity
Children are tireless in their exploration. They want to know everything! They want to know why things exists, how they work, and what else they might put it to use doing. All of life is fascinating and profound from their viewpoint. Although their inquiries can be maddening after the twentieth question in a ten minute span of time, their enthusiasm to acquire an understanding of how and why things work is impressive.
Innocence
The innocence that children possess is that which is so obviously lost as we age. It is children’s openness and zeal for life that makes them so lovable and appealing to us at a heart level. Eastern traditions often refer to this quality of innocence as “beginners mind.” They have yet to experience the pain that is inherent in the dichotomy of living. As adults, we agonize over our children’s loss of innocence because we know it will come to them via suffering.
Courage
It is staggering to behold the evolution of a child in the first few years of life. It is actually mind-blowing when you put it in perspective. Can you imagine the courage it takes to go from having the physical capacity of a limp noodle to endeavoring to walk within an approximate twelve month period of time? Children are not daunted by their inability, errors or mistakes. They keep going until they’ve reached their mark. They may throw a fit or make a mess in the process, but they never quit…and imagine if they did!
Children possess a je ne sais quoi that is striking in its beauty and stunning in its impact when given the space to exist. They may not come into the world with the knowledge that we possess, but their inherent wisdom suggests if we desire to sit in closer proximity to that which animates our being, we would heed the advice of the masters.
It is left to be seen whether aspiring to be more like children will warrant our place in heaven, but I do believe it will allow us to live our lives with greater reverence and fulfillment.