Childlike Faith

Last year I was showing my nephew a magic trick. I took a bottle cap and pretended to make it disappear and reappear by “pulling it” out of his ear. He was amazed. “Pull it out of her ear,” he said pointing to my wife. Over and over again, what seemed like an hour, I sat near my nephew and pulled a bottle cap from people’s ears.

Children have amazing curiosity and faith. Sometimes I look at my nephew with wonder (and a little bit of jealousy) because he seems to view the world in vivid color, whereas my senses have dulled overtime. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, willing to walk around a grocery store in April in his Halloween costume.  He is excited by the little things, and he has never met a stranger—everyone is simply a new friend. Like the bottle cap being pulled from his ear, he doesn’t bother to question how something works or why it works, he knows it does and sits in awe and amazement.

In our passage for today*, Jesus reminds us of the importance of a childlike faith saying that people with faith a simple as a child will come to know the Kingdom of God. What would it look like if we all had a little more childlike wonder, silliness, and faith? What would the world be like if, like my nephew, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and find curiosity and friendship around every corner?

It’s hard to let go of our adult responsibilities. We will likely continue to figure out the tricks behind magic tricks, rather than living in wonder and amazement. But maybe we can grow more into a childlike faith, simply being amazed at the grace and forgiveness we are freely given through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, rather than pondering the age-old question of ‘why me?’.

I am not often sure of where to get started when it comes to childlike amazement, but I hear that walking around the grocery store in April in our Halloween costumes will help. Maybe, let’s start there.