Through the Eyes of a Child: Jesus and the Children

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them.” Matthew 19:14 (NIrV)
The kingdom, Jesus says, belongs to those who receive it like a child. What would it look like for us to engage God in childlike ways? How can we receive the kingdom like a child? A childlike faith approaches God and all of life with a posture of wonder and imagination. Woven throughout a child’s wonder and imagination is the practice of play. When we practice play, we engage in an activity simply for the sake of joy without the need to accomplish or produce anything.
Play is how children make sense of the world. It cultivates a posture of awe and wonder that shapes them and helps them to experience God in new ways. Play is sacred: intersecting our imaginations and realities to allow us to engage with God and embody God’s story.
These practices are intended to engage our childlike spirits through an artistic reflection. Art invites us to use our imaginations and curiosity to think about God in a new way, and this artist in particular invites us to see God through the playful eyes of a child.
Each reflection involves an image and a scripture. The images come from the artist Joel Schoon-Tanis. Joel strives to view the world through a child-like lens-full of color, whimsy and honesty. His work helps others unlock a sense of child-like wonder about God’s world. He says, “I juxtapose kid-like drawings and text to help the viewer see things from a fresh perspective.” Each image includes a paraphrase of the scripture passage from a child. As you read these words, perhaps you might consider them the voice of your inner child.
We invite you to reflect on each image and scripture and then respond with a playful practice. Families will want to experience this together. Adults, we encourage you to approach these practices with a posture of freedom and receptivity. As best you can, set aside the temptation to be self-conscious. If you do not have children in your home, I wonder if there are any kids in your life you might include in one or more of these practices. Perhaps a grandchild or a niece or nephew might help you embrace these practices. Perhaps we might even allow a child to lead us.
For this reflection, you will need a piece of paper and a dot marker (or any marker).
For more information about the artist, please visit his website, joelschoontani...