Connecting with Your Inner Child

Sculpture “Love” by Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov, at Burning Man, 2015. Photo source: The Other 98% 

This gorgeous piece of art from Burning Man, 2015, brings up some thoughts for me to ponder. Two people sitting back-to-back, while their inner children long to connect.  

My frame of reference is the Christ. Jesus admonished that "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  

Little children have hearts that are soft and open, minds that are curious and exploring, spirits full of wonderment. The kingdom of heaven can be right here and right now when we interact with these aspects of childlike wonder, softness, openness, curiosity. Jesus' life constantly portrayed the kingdom on earth as he went about interacting daily with "the least of these," conferring upon untouchables and sinners gifts of love, healing, and hope.  

I love the last line of the art description by the poster, The Other 98%: "at night the children inside light up."  

It feels like night right now in our world. It feels dark and heavy for many. How can our inner children light up and be beacons of light in the desert? How can we soften our hearts, open our minds with curiosity about "the other?"   I don't know what this looks like for you, my friend. For me it starts with a breath. Breathing in, inspiring the life of Spirit and releasing fear and mistrust.  

It is meeting a stranger and remaining curious about her point of view when everything in my adult mind wants to scream "you are crazy!"  

It means releasing the need for everything to be perfect, releasing the need for everyone to be perfect and allowing and accepting what IS with wonderment and "beginner's mind."  

It means continuing to gather up the good things in life like baby laughter, collecting canned goods for the food pantry, visits and phone calls with beloved friends.  

It means gathering up the courage to speak against injustice and inequity and speak out a message of love and connectivity.  

It means praying for a softening of hearts in the world's leaders, a letting go of ego and a return to sanity on all sides.   My friend, may your heart be softened rather than hardened by the troubles of our world, may your mind remain open to the possibility of peace and joy rather than full of fear, may your spirit rejoice in wonderment every time you simply look up at the sky, or enjoy the presence of your dearest loved ones.  

Together may we be the light in the desert, reaching out to one another with love, peace, and joy.  

I love you.   

Lesa Walker, LUT