"Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child..." Today's reading from Mark 10:1-16 contains these words, and much has been written over the years about just what it means to be "as a little child." A lot of popular understandings--innocent, sweet, etc.-- are dismissed by most scholars.
I read these verses today after working on an Ash Wednesday meditation. This meditation recalls the Ash Wednesday liturgy, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." And it speaks of recognizing that God is God and we are creatures, of acknowledging and claiming of our limitations as creatures.
Children tend to realize that they are not in charge of things. We've all known some who thought they were. But most children are painfully aware of how much their lives are determined by other folks, from when to go to bed, when to get up, when to go to school, what to eat, and so on. But as we grow up, we take responsibility for many of these things, and for me, that often includes taking charge of the things that would be handled much better by God.
"Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child..."
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