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{"id":313,"date":"2011-04-27T08:56:14","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T08:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wildgoosefestival.org\/?p=313"},"modified":"2011-04-27T08:56:14","modified_gmt":"2011-04-27T08:56:14","slug":"through-the-eyes-of-a-child-christine-sine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildgoosefestival\/2011\/04\/through-the-eyes-of-a-child-christine-sine\/","title":{"rendered":"Through the Eyes of A Child – Christine Sine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Christine\u00a0Sine<\/a><\/strong> responds to the question: <\/strong>If you were only able to say one thing at a North American creativity, spirituality & justice festival, what would it be?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I have a friend who recently became her granddaughter\u2019s guardian.\u00a0 It is like rediscovering childhood. She is constantly looking, listening and questioning, opening her eyes and ears to the wonder of God\u2019s world. \u00a0She senses God\u2019s presence in the song of birds and the whisper of the wind. \u00a0Watching a ladybug on a leaf is an exciting adventure in which she discovers new facets of God\u2019s mystery and breathtaking beauty.<\/p>\n

Childhood is filled with creativity and imagination, a place of mystery and wonder, in which kids discover themselves, the world and the God who created it. \u00a0Life is about seeing colours adults never notice and conversing with creatures adults think don\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

In her book\u00a0Walking on Water<\/a><\/em>, <\/em>Madeleine L\u2019Engle reminds us that all children are born artists endowed with rich unfettered imaginations, their senses touched by compassion and love.\u00a0 Unfortunately, as we grow we are corrupted by the \u201cdirty devices of the secular world<\/em>\u201d where myth and fairy tale must be discarded and compassion gives way to competition. \u00a0Childhood\u2019s vivid purple clouds and yellow skies give way to the\u00a0real world<\/em> where clouds are white and skies are blue.<\/p>\n

We squelch creativity and imagination forcing kids to live in the real world of science and technology where leaves are made of molecules and rainbows are caused by light refraction. \u00a0Life is about buying goods we don\u2019t need and holding jobs we don\u2019t enjoy.\u00a0 God fits in a tiny box we open on Sunday or for a few moments each morning.<\/p>\n

Madeleine<\/a> comments,<\/p>\n

\u201cWe write, we make music, we draw pictures because we are listening for meaning, feeling for healing \u00a0And during the writing of the story, or the painting, or the composing or singing or playing, we are returned to that open creativity which was ours when we were children. \u00a0We cannot be mature artists if we have lost the ability to believe which we had as children. \u00a0An artist at work is in a condition of complete and total faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surely this is part of what Jesus means in Matthew 18: 2-4:<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.\u00a0Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.<\/p>\n

To gain God\u2019s perspective of life we must learn once more to see as children see and believe as children believe. \u00a0That means rediscovering the wonder and imagination of God\u2019s dreams and promises.\u00a0 What would happen if we all saw life with the imagination and creativity of a child, discovering that each day is an adventure of looking, listening and learning? \u00a0What would happen if we turned away from the boxes of conformity our culture has imposed on us and allowed our imaginations to break free? \u00a0What would happen if we rethought what we are on the planet for with the compassionate dreams of God at the centre?<\/p>\n

* * * *<\/p>\n

The Wild Goose Festival is excited about our children\u2019s program, and the ways it will open up the wonder children feel about God, creation, ourselves and each other. Watch this space<\/a> for more details soon. Tickets for children and adults are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Christine Sine is executive director of Mustard Seed Associates<\/a>.\u00a0 She blogs at GodSpace<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"