Like A Child
Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. Ever since Jesus says the words like a child there have been many discussions as to just what does this mean. What does like a child mean to you? It should mean something, or you may not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That should make all of us cringe.
I would think that like a child is significantly different from childlike. Thinking of the nature of a child there are as many different definitions as there are children in the world. Would it be right to make broad generalizations of the nature of children? I do not think so. Trying to use the worldly theme of one size fits all usually fails in spiritual concerns.
I recall the many homilies I have done for Catholic School masses. I am very careful to speak to them, not in childlike terms, but as important young people searching for God. With children, as you explain a concept about God, or a teaching of God, you can see when they come to that critical understanding of the concept. It is an understanding that I am convinced that will stay with them forever. They are hungry to learn more about the faith. They come with no presuppositions. Maybe that is like a child?
On the other hand, speaking to adults, you must discover their presuppositions and then address each of their assumptions. In various circles these assumptions are baggage. As we get older, we accumulate stuff. Our assumptions are stuff. And they are hard to let go because we have used our stuff to protect or set up barriers not only to keep people out but keep ourselves in. Maybe this can help us understand what like a child means. Children do not have presuppositions; they have very little baggage. Do you think so?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen