The Magic Kingdom

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15 NIV)

Growing up in South Florida, I went to Disney World more often than the average person.  It was a popular school field trip destination, family weekend escape, and as an older teenager, it was a popular spot to go with friends.  I really got to know the Magic Kingdom quite well.  So well in fact that the magic pretty much disappeared for me.  The more I knew about the inner workings of the Kingdom, the less it impressed me.

Last week Richard and I took our 4-year-old granddaughter to Disney.  The magic returned full force!  Seeing Disney through the eyes of a small child made all the difference in the world.  It was exciting and magical and even emotional for me.  Watching Cecelia run up and hug the Mouse that has been her favorite cartoon character since before she could talk was a joy beyond joy.

There is another Kingdom we are to receive as a child... the Kingdom of God.  It's not that we shouldn't study and learn all we can about our faith.  Certainly we should!  But we should not let theology get in the way of the beauty and excitement of our relationship with Christ.  We can't let theology get in the way of what Jesus came to teach us.  Theology can be - and often is - wrong.  It has to be, or there wouldn't be so much conflicting theology.  But loving God and loving one another can never be wrong.  And love is the easy-to-grasp childlike theology on which we should center our faith.  If it isn't loving, it isn't of God.

My little preschool Sunday school kids get it.  "Jesus loves me"  "God is love" "Love one another"  If we live this simple and basic theology, we will discover the Magic of the Kingdom again.

Lord,
Help us to love you as a child loves.  Help us to accept your love as a child does.  May we all discover the real Magic Kingdom here on earth.  Amen.

Joys:  Being with family I haven't seen in a while; a new generation of cousins playing together; Taking Cecelia to Disney and Universal parks