Yellow Lights

Yesterday, as I ran a yellow light on my way back to work from lunch, I was reminded of the time earlier this week when me and Heather were watching the Calderwood children and I ran a yellow light on the way to In n Out Burger. As I sped past this yellow light, the interrogation by Jeremiah began: “Why did you go through that yellow light Ryan? Green means: ‘go’, red means: ’stop’, and yellow means: ’slow down’, and you didn’t slow down, you sped up.” I tried to explain to him that it could have been more dangerous for me to slow down so quickly, and that I was trying to make the light before it meant “stop”, but he was still completely baffled by my complete disregard for the rules. He had been taught (either by his parents or by school) what each of the signals meant and wondered why I sped up when he knew for a fact that I was supposed to slow down.

“These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” (Mark 10:14-15) “…the disciples came to Jesus asking, ‘Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?’ For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, ‘I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in.’” (Matt 18:1-3)

Whenever I read these passages I am always in wonder at what Jesus meant by accepting God’s kingdom in the “simplicity of a child”. I find it amazing that Jesus doesn’t go into depths to talk about exactly what he means by becoming like a child. There is mystery and wonder, and when He is finished telling us to become like children, the story isn’t finished. He leaves it wide open for us to explore and to dive into the depths of it to experience what He means. When I ran the yellow light, all Jeremiah knew was that he was told that yellow means: “slow down”, and that I didn’t do that. Even when I tried to justify my action, he still didn’t understand. At some point in Jeremiah’s life he was told that yellow means slow down, and simply and unquestioningly he accepted it. He didn’t have to be convinced that yellow means slow down, and he didn’t need legal documentation to prove it either. He just accepted it.

I think that children are at the center of life in God’s kingdom because it is so easy for them to accept Him. They don’t have all these theological questions about Christ that us adults do. Adults want to know the answer to every one of their questions and make sure that it all makes sense to them before they dive in, when children dive in with no inhibitions. I am on this journey to become more child-like everyday, reveling in God’s countless mysteries that I know I will never understand. I would be scared if I did understand everything there was to know because what kind of All-powerful God would my small mind actually be able to comprehend? Because of my mystery and wonder and awe, I know that I serve such a huge God where nothing on this earth or universe could contain Him. Lets not abandon mystery for answers, but let the mystery comfort and amaze us as we begin to take our steps as a child would: freely and simply.