Spiritual Childhood
Last night I heard a most amazing quote from G.K. Chesterton: earth is a task garden, heaven is a play ground.
Chesterton says that adults have lost the sense of play which we all have when we are a child. Children play seriously with all their energy and attention. Adults are busy with tasks and often frivolous in what they do. For instance, a writer can write a book, but the writing can be rather frivolous because he is not going to rewrite the book even if there is serious criticism of it. Yet a child building with blocks will take very care for his blocks to be just right, otherwise they will fall. When the blocks do fall, the child will waste no time in building them again. Children are serious about their play. In fact, you might say that children are solemn in their play. But adults are often too tired for this kind of childhood leisure, because it takes too much intensive concentration.
What an inspiring perspective for spiritual childhood!!! Chesterton says that the objective of all our activities should be play. Imagine that! To take all drudgery out of all aspects of life and make it a child's playground!!! There will be bruises and tears, but the playing never gets dull, and we always get back on our feet and gleefully give our whole heart to whatever is pleasing, good, engaging, creative, and beneficial. Kind of like what God does all the time. Perhaps He created the earth as a gigantic playground and takes fresh delight in everything His children does in good faith. Perhaps it is He that has filled this playground with pulsating life that looks, listens, seeks, laughs, loves, hugs, creates, recreates, relates, and dreams. Perhaps we should regain our childhood spirit and do all this in a childlike solemnity.
Kind of like what's going on at Mass: solemn but young, serious but uplifting, creative and recreational (refreshing), the same every day but always something new and inspiring. Simple, repetitive, but seriously fun and life-giving.
Chesterton says that adults have lost the sense of play which we all have when we are a child. Children play seriously with all their energy and attention. Adults are busy with tasks and often frivolous in what they do. For instance, a writer can write a book, but the writing can be rather frivolous because he is not going to rewrite the book even if there is serious criticism of it. Yet a child building with blocks will take very care for his blocks to be just right, otherwise they will fall. When the blocks do fall, the child will waste no time in building them again. Children are serious about their play. In fact, you might say that children are solemn in their play. But adults are often too tired for this kind of childhood leisure, because it takes too much intensive concentration.
What an inspiring perspective for spiritual childhood!!! Chesterton says that the objective of all our activities should be play. Imagine that! To take all drudgery out of all aspects of life and make it a child's playground!!! There will be bruises and tears, but the playing never gets dull, and we always get back on our feet and gleefully give our whole heart to whatever is pleasing, good, engaging, creative, and beneficial. Kind of like what God does all the time. Perhaps He created the earth as a gigantic playground and takes fresh delight in everything His children does in good faith. Perhaps it is He that has filled this playground with pulsating life that looks, listens, seeks, laughs, loves, hugs, creates, recreates, relates, and dreams. Perhaps we should regain our childhood spirit and do all this in a childlike solemnity.
Kind of like what's going on at Mass: solemn but young, serious but uplifting, creative and recreational (refreshing), the same every day but always something new and inspiring. Simple, repetitive, but seriously fun and life-giving.
Posted by Kathy Stout
