Article April 24, 1976 Issue

What Does It Mean to Be Childlike?

ALICE HOWELL RASBACH

Jesus came to establish the kingdom of heaven in human consciousness. He gave implicit instructions on how we can recognize and fill our place in that kingdom. He said: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."^{ Matt. 18:3;}

The Master exposed the false belief in a far-off heaven when he made the definite statement that "the kingdom of God is within you."^{ Luke 17:21;} If the kingdom of God is within us, it must be a state of harmonious consciousness to be realized by daily imaging forth childlike qualities. These bring heavenly harmony into our experience and thereby make us conscious of the kingdom of heaven within.

Christ Jesus loved little children. He saw in them the spiritual qualities his own consciousness expressed as he went about his Father's business, destroying discord of every kind. When the disciples rebuked those who brought their children to him so that he could touch them, Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."^{ Mark 10:14;} What qualities did he see in them? Perhaps trustfulness, innocence, purity, expectancy of good, humility, gentleness, happiness, kindness, receptivity, teachableness, simplicity, joyfulness, and above all, perhaps, their ability to love. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy writes, "Jesus loved little children because of their freedom from wrong and their receptiveness of right."^{ Science and Health, p. 236;}