Understanding the mysteries of babies' babbles

Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, I spent some time with my sister and brother. My sister has two kids ages four(4) and two(2); while my brother has three kids ages four(4), two(2) and six months. I spent a little over a week with my sister as well as my brother. 

Though I had initially planned a lot of activities which would have kept me out of doors, I fell ill and ended up spending most of the time indoors. As a result, I spent quite a bit of time with the kids which was new territory for me because I haven't had much chance to be around children under five(5) years for such a prolonged period. 

However what struck me was how easy it was to communicate between the older kids and the two year olds. In my sister's case, the older one is a girl and the younger one is a boy. The older girl could understand everything her brother said and ended up correcting me when I got it wrong, or acting as an interpreter when I had absolutely no clue. This was also the case with my brother's kids with the older one acting as the translator for me on many occasions. 

So I started to pay close attention and I realised they always sought each other out. If one was missing, the other would go in search until he/she was found. They played together, ate together, showered together, slept together, they were always in each others' company. The constant companionship had led to an increased level of communication and understanding between them. And so even when the little ones made what were to me incoherent sounds and babbles, the older ones knew exactly what they were talking about.

I would like to relate this to our walk with God. I know a lot of people have doubts and questions about their faith. Did God really say this? Is this church teaching really from God? Is this really the right way to gain eternal life? What is the truth? Did this inspiration really come from God? And so on and so on, the questions abound. Ask any adult and they have a million and one burning questions concerning matters of God and faith.

To these and to myself I will say, seek him out as a child companion. In the gospels we were told Jesus never turned away little children, in fact he said 'the kingdom belongs to such as these' (Luke 18:16, Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14). Unfortunately the mysteries of the kingdom do not belong to those think themselves wise and learned (Matthew 11:25), it belongs to the little children, those who empty themselves before God.

We can also gain understanding through the 'interpreters', those who have cultivated that close companionship with God and can help us to clear our doubts. But even that requires that we stoop low to 'learn from little children'.

 May God help us.

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