• child-like no more!

if the spirit isn’t willing . . .

Why is it “child-like” to have fun, be curious, filled with wonder and be able to dance, sing and paint without regard to “is it any good” or “I hope no one’s watching.”
    We used to call them the “wonder years.” (When I was a kid I thought it meant the period from kindergarten through sixth grade when everyday for lunch I had a sandwich on Wonder bread.) The “wonder years” are the time of life when we were learning how life works by being fully curious and ever-inquisitive about all of life. We upended rocks to observe the bugs’ life. And our insect neighbors went scurrying for safety because a big giant had just rocked their world.
    The wonder years were a time when practically every other sentence out of our mouths began with “why” or “how come.”
    “What are the stars made of...and who gets to live there?”
    “Why can’t I vote for President of the United States?”
    “What’s so special about being twenty-one years old? Why not just plane twenty?” (When I was a kid you still had to be twenty-one to vote in elections, except at school for class president and stuff like that.)
    Can our inbred child-like spirit live concomitantly with the sobriety and sophistication of adulthood? And what price our grown-up sophistication? While there is a lot to be said for the enlightenment born of education and life’s experiences, it is that very eduction the chips inexorably away at our childhood wonder and curiosity. Anthropologists in their study of every culture have observed that all children are fully creatively expressed by age three--they sing, dance, draw, paint, make up stories, play “dress up”, and ask “why, why, a thousand times why?” Sadly, those same anthropologists have observed, all over the globe, that creativity and imagination in children (every child) begins to be reduced and depleted by as much as 70%, or more, around age seven. This is not, coincidentally enough, about the time we begin formal education.
    Our creativity doesn’t begin to diminish either because in school, finally, all of our questions are answered, but because we enter into a system wherein we learn what questions are accepted and their correct, and officially accepted answers. There is little room for creativity in such an environment.
    You will know this true enough from your own life’s experience, but will your life be on the side of the angels of creativity who labor almost futilely to keep wonder in our mind, dreams in our hearts, and play in our daily lives? Or will you stand on the side of Darkness and find the stuff of creativity to be dangerous, unnecessary, silly, and even sinful.
    As a follower of Bethlehem’s Star I am embarrassed for every occasion when creativity, and imagination have been said to be in conflict with faith. That is a lie. And whether from ignorance or malice, those who hold this heresy , or worse, further it,  are in no small way responsible for the death, burial, and on going diminution of the Creator Spirit that is the birthright of every human life. The obvious truth of this is known to every parent--for no one has ever had to encourage play or curiosity in their little ones. Virtually every parent of little kids (pre-school ages and younger) can recite a catalogue creative accomplishments by their two, three, and four year olds.
    To what dark corner of the universe does parental enthusiasm for creativity become exiled? Is there a orange bag of discarded imagination on the curb, wedged between the green recycle container and the large burgundy bin of garbage? Who sent out the memo instructing parents to discourage children from taking art, music, and theatre in school. These things are fine up to about sixth grade but, then “It’s time to get serious about the rest of your life, young man.” That little bromide comes when they see Intro to Acting on you freshman registration form. Repeated enough, such disquieting phrases act as a sedative to dreams.
    On this weekend of renew and rebirth when faithful Jews and Christians celebrate freedom in the escape from Egyptian bondage and resurrection from spiritual slavery and captivity, might all parents renew their commitment to encourage the wonder of the human imagination in their children. Even if your children are now grown and gone from your care there can be renewal of the spirit of human imagination.
    I am personally acquainted with too many adults who would benefit immeasurably from a simple phone call from their parents. You can apologize for stifling the creativity you knew was there so long ago, but feared because you didn’t understand it. A simple call saying, “You were so imaginative as a child. I want you to follow your dreams, now. I’m sorry I couldn’t say this sooner, but I love you and support you in your creative pursuits.”
    During a time of life changing traditions--Easter--you can change lives. Look around. There’s someone close to you--a brother, cousin, sister, son, or daughter--that needs to get a Resurrection message from you. Don’t Passover this opportunity to bring life. It’s only too late if you don’t do it now.
    Imagine what life will be like if you don’t do this - now.

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