Reflection for the Week 3rd November 2019

Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Some years ago I read a wonderful heart-warming book called 'All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten' by Robert Fulghum, a Unitarian minister, (1989, Villard Books, New York).  He subtitled it: 'Uncommon thoughts on common things' and it is a series of essays on faith, a personal statement of belief (as he says in his introduction) written with humour, a touch of cynicism, definite enthusiasm for life in all its richness.  The first essay carries the title of the book and sets out what he learned in his own kindergarten and has known – but often forgotten – as life went on and became more complicated.

“Wisdom” says Robert, “was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain but there in the sand-pile at Sunday School”. He goes to outline some of the things he learned:

“Share everything.  Play fair.  Don't hit people.  Put things back where you found them.  Clean up after yourself.  Say sorry when you hurt someone.  Flush.  Wash your hands.  Take a nap every afternoon.  Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.  When you go out, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together …”

If you go into a nursery school, you may find, along with the delightful drawings on the poster board on the wall: a list of 'School Rules', such as those once seen at Emmbrook nursery: LOOKING EYES; LISTENING EARS; INSIDE VOICES; WALKING FEET; HELPING HANDS.  Over the next few weeks we could perhaps consider these in adult detail, because as Robert Fulghum's book tells us: “Everything you need to know is there somewhere: the Golden Rule, love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics, equality and sane living.  And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, its best to hold hands and stick together”.

Jesus said: “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18: 3).  Let's all go back to nursery and re-learn what we knew then.

Rosi MorganBarry