After reading Scott Robinson’s musings on his daughter’s butterflies, I felt moved to re-visit this story about my nephew that symbolized for me slight sadness, but as Scott suggested in his eloquent piece, a reminder and invitation to step back and see with innocent eyes in order to “reunite with God on an adult level.” 

At my sister’s birthday party last year, my nephew Mason, Eva (sister), and “Nama” were playing “Red Light, Green Light.”  When the time came for Mason’s turn as caller he declared everyone a winner.  We all laughed, and someone snorted and said, “How politically correct.” 

And it made me a little sad.  Not for the comment or any personal feelings about “political corrected-ness,” but for the illustration of loss of innocence.  At the tender age of 4, Mason had no idea what it meant to be “politically correct.”  He just wanted everyone to be happy, loved, and peaceful.  He hadn’t yet been twisted with the wrench of negative competitiveness that our world seems to function in today.   

Mason carries a rainbow umbrella and associates it only with rain and colors.  He picks the pink game piece as often as he picks the blue one.  He loves bluegrass, hip hop, country, and “cwassical” music.  He has no prejudice or narrow mindedness toward symbols or colors or styles.  Who teaches a kid that pink is for girls, blue for boys?  This is likely not an innate quality.  Ask Mason what is favorite color is, and his reply is, “All!”  He is inclusive because he hasn’t been painted by the prejudices and attachments we have as adults, maybe some learned from a very young age. 

Oh, protect the purity!  If we could all think, no, BE like children…can we come down off our “adult” pedestals and learn from our little ones?

“At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?”

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.’” –Matthew 18:1-4