When I was a child...

When I was a child, I saw as a child...and understood as a child...but now it's time to put away childish things...

So says the apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians...but is he right? I mean, perhaps there is a sense in which we must put away childish things, but in an interesting counterpoint to this perspective, Jesus is quoted as saying that we must become "like children" in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why the contradiction?

What characterizes the way that a child sees life? Physiologically, it's important to realize that children do not have the capacity for abstract thought until they are well into adolescence...so truly, they see things in black and white...absent the presence of much nuance or abstraction. Children also see life, as most adults do, from an ego-centric perspective. In other words, "Of course it's all about me...who else do you think it's about???"

And finally, children who have grown up in a fairly stable emotional environment tend to trust easily...and they tend to love freely....without reservation or reserve.

So...should we "become as children", as Jesus suggests? Or, should we "put away childish things," as Paul exhorts?

In the cafeteria line that can sometimes represent the variety and nuance of scriptural teaching, we are each required to discern how the message applies to our individual situation. Are you childish in your ego-centricity? Perhaps you are being called to put that selfishness aside.

Are you slow to trust? Do you need to let your guard down in order to unreservedly love and be loved? Perhaps you need to become more like a child...

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When I was a child...I lived in 4 different states before the age of 2...I swam at the Lansdale Public Pool...and I loved Hank Aaron and the Atlanta Braves.

When I was a child, I heard the lessons of Jesus and the teaching of Paul...and now that I'm not a child anymore, I still have to take time to listen to both, and figure out what it all means for me.