麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Steve Taylor

Good Morning

A few years ago, I was walking in the countryside, and saw a young child a few yards ahead, looking at a cow. He was completely transfixed, staring with awe at this giant-headed beast with bulging eyes.

Then I heard his father shout from further ahead: 鈥淐ome on, it鈥檚 just a cow!鈥�

To me, this was a tragic illustration of how some parents quash children鈥檚 sense of wonder and help to turn the world to a mundane place.

One of the great things about children is that they can rekindle our sense of wonder. They鈥檙e like aliens, who have just arrived on the surface of a strange planet. Everything is fresh and new, shining with beauty and suchness.

Our first child Hugh had a very poetic way of expressing himself. Once we were walking on a wet day. Rain was dripping down the drainpipes of houses, then bouncing back up of the ground. 鈥楲ook daddy,鈥� Hugh said, 鈥榯he rain is dancing!鈥� A few months later, we were in the garden and the pages of a book were blowing open in the wind. 鈥楲ook daddy,鈥� he said, 鈥榯he wind is reading your book!鈥�

Perhaps this is why many spiritual traditions view childhood is an ideal state. The Chinese text the Dao De Ching advises us to 鈥楻eturn to the state of the infant.鈥� Jesus said, 鈥榰nless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.鈥�

Children鈥檚 fresh vision is always accessible to us, no matter how old we are. It鈥檚 simply a matter of being fully attentive and present, and looking at the world without labels and concepts.

Let鈥檚 hope that we can rekindle that fresh vision. And let鈥檚 do everything we can to encourage children鈥檚 precious sense of wonder so that they never lose it.

Blessings.

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