Become childlike

Just like anything in the bible – I can ask of that statement many questions: what age is “childlike” … what culture … what social demographic … what educational level … what time and place … does ALL THAT apply to me or not … ?

And isn’t that the main reason we interrogate the bible: Does that apply to me or can I ignore it?

Become childlike.

If my definition of “childlike” is of a spoiled brat always wanting and manipulating others to get their own way – then I think I am missing something profound.

Likewise, if my definition of “all that” requires the evidence and correctness to allow myself to be instructed to comply – I am missing something profound and simple and commonsense.

Like Love.

Without condition.

Become childlike.

Is the essence of something simple.

Something beyond “innocence” – beyond “youth” – beyond “education” – beyond “naivety”. Beyond all those “conditions” we surround ourselves with (as barriers to the ~~perceived~~ vulnerability of ~~Love without Condition~~ being childlike).

But isn’t “childlike” to have no vulnerability – to be unsurrounded (by all the stuff we surround ourselves with)?

I am prone to facial spots.

A teenage affliction – not a “six-decader” affliction. It marks me out(!!) – colleagues and family and friends … their eyes are irresistibly drawn to look/glance/away.

We mature grown-ups cannot help but be drawn to impediment and/or difference.

But it isn’t the glance.

It is the absence of anything but the glance.

And in the absence are the conditions:

I mustn’t mention this or I’ll be seen to be rude. I’ll ignore this impediment and/or difference and pretend I haven’t noticed. We’ll continue as if there is no impediment and/or difference – even though we both know there is.

Childlike?

Children don’t even notice or if they do they ask, “What’s that?” And I answer – it’s a spot. And they say “Oh.” And that’s the end of it. The impediment and/or difference is no longer even visible to them.

It no longer registers.

Isn’t that what we all seek from love?

The unconditional de-registering to all the impediments and/or differences we all carry through life? Our scars, weaknesses, preferences, blemishes, strengths that become liabilities, good stuff that becomes tarnished through living, bad stuff that becomes our self-defence responses –

Isn’t Love someone who doesn’t register any of that stuff to see the real me inside?

Like a child.

A child doesn’t register if I am rich or poor, handsome or ugly, competent or fearful, bigoted or inclusive, gay or hetero, religious or atheist … But a child knows if I am happy or sad, angry or calm, ill or healthy, connecting or withdrawn, fun or boring … And THOSE “registers” are immediate AND immediately reversible …

Because in the moment is what I am.

Nor is that connection tarnished in them as in our accumulated “baggage of living”.

Children are blind to so much we are not.

So too the bible.

Bible-blind is not to dismiss the bible – but to embrace the bible in the moment. Is not to find a counter argument. Is not to research what is correct and what is not. Is not to find what I must do – what I can avoid doing – what I must defend as incorrect – what I must defend as correct. That is not the bible-blind I am becoming. The bible-blind I am becoming is to see Love always. To see imagery – poetry – parables – religion doing what religion must – and not let it register over and above Love.

And I have come to think that we are all bible-blind … like this –

“I am biblically AND scripturally correct!”