“…He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”  MARK 10:14-16

One night, as all of my kids were camped out together in the same bedroom on vacation, I kissed each of them goodnight. I hugged them closely, whispered to them that I loved them. I laid down next to my youngest son and began to read a bit of a Bible devotional on my phone (I wish this was something I ALWAYS did. Usually, I’m checking my phone for ways to get free wi-fi at the airport, or how to increase the speed on the new zipline trolley we installed over my in-laws pool. But this time, I was actually doing what I set out to do every night.). Inadvertently, I triggered the flashlight as I was scrolling through the text.

The nighttime darkness was broken. A beam of LED light illuminated the ceiling fan and the room came to life in vibrant color. Before I could turn the light off, restoring the room to it’s tranquil pre-slumber state, a little hand flew in front of the light beam, casting a shadow on the ceiling. Soon, there were sounds to accompany the puppet. I’m not sure what animal or monster or person was intended, but it sprung to life. Soon another hand joined it. Then, my own hand joined it. I really could only produce a rough camel shaped shadow. It turns out, merely pressing the thumb to the index finger with all other fingers smartly aligned, produces something vaguely dromedary in nature.

Soon, the room was full of animals and birds… and laughter.

Then, after a short while, when it was time for the “wild rumpus” to come to its sleepy end and I had turned off the light, a voice in the dark spoke: “Dad, do you like laughing when you’re in bed?”

“Yes,” I said.
“Well, how come you get upset sometimes when we do it — when it’s time for bed?”
“I don’t know,” I said.

I wonder where some of the joy of being a child gets lost in the seriousness of being an adult. Something was awakened in me on the night of those shadow puppets. Maybe, as Jesus spoke about children in the Kingdom of God, He knew something about how we need a kind of lost laughter we used to know. Maybe, by being with and among, kids — no matter how foreign they may seem to us — we discover something about the heart of Jesus himself.

Next week, we start our Summer Fun Nights (VBS) day camp (5:30-8:30p) for elementary school kids. They’ll learn about Jesus. They’ll eat dinner together. They’ll laugh together. They’ll be led by caring adults who still love to wonder. There are still spots open for kids looking to join in the fun. There is also a need for 10 or so “guides” (and assistant guides) to facilitate the event. But, maybe it’s not them who’ll get the most guidance. Maybe it’s us, after all. If you’re interested, check out the link for more info.

See you Sunday,

Jeff