On a recent beach vacation my great-nephews, ages one and three, accompanied the family. Watching them for the week provided some insight into the saying of Jesus: “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” I can think of three ways that we can accept the kingdom of God like a child. First, with delight. Everything was new and exciting for the boys and they enjoyed the simple pleasures of splashing in the surf, looking for shells, playing in the sand. We all need to learn how to delight at the simple things that are in fact windows to the divine. As the poet William Blake put it: “To see a world in a grain of sand / And heaven in a wildflower / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour.” Second, we need to accept the kingdom of God as a gift. The care the children received from the parents was not because of anything they did to deserve it (besides being incredibly cute.) Rather, just being who they received loving devotion. Third, with guidance. The boys needed to be told to be careful around the water, to eat their food and not to only cookies and candy, to go to bed when it was time. We have the Bible and the Church to help provide for us the guidance that we need to enter the kingdom of God. There are many other lessons from the children but these three are a good start.
