The child is Jesus’ favorite example. Every time the disciples had intellectual arguments, he put a child in front of them. He said the only people who can understand what he’s talking about are the ones who have the mind and heart of a child; those who have the “beginner’s mind.”
The older we grow, the more we’ve been hurt and disappointed, and the more we’ve created resistance to the unadulterated delight and curiosity of children. We must never presume that we understand, we must always be ready to see in new ways.
In general, what blocks spiritual learning is the assumption that we already know. We need to pray for the immense guidance and wonder of seeing things anew; to pray as with the blind man, “Lord, I want to see” (Luke 18:41)
Spirituality is about seeing. It is about an intimate relationship with things. Once we see fully, the rest follows. God’s life of love is being lived within us, and we must learn to say yes to that life. This Life is so large, deep, and spacious. It is the only true life available to us and can only be accessed by being born again – entered into through the death of our fallen, ego-driven self.
Colossians 3:3-4 “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”
