YOUR SECOND CHILDHOOD.

“[Jesus said:] “…except you turn about and become more like this child, you will make little progress in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever shall humble himself and become as this little one, the same shall become greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” [UB Paper 158, Section 8]

Thought Adjuster: “Why is it that Jesus stressed over and over the necessity to become like children in order to find access to the Kingdom of Heaven?

“Little children are like thirsty sponges, as they enter this world without any practical and experiential knowledge. In their beautiful innocence, they look up to others as guides and teachers. Their unquenchable curiosity makes them fully-invested fulltime students of life.

“Yet, as they grow in years, they do not necessarily grow in wisdom. Much depends on their family upbringing and on which type of role modeling they are exposed. This is when the waters of innocence may get muddied and start distorting the previously pure reflection of the child. Their humility may be impacted by the emergence of superiority complexes. Their open-mindedness and open-heartedness may be short-lived and overtaken by their nemesis—narrow-mindedness and narrow-heartedness. Altruistic impulses may be refrained and drowned in self-centeredness.

“However, these sorry developmental tendencies are remediable. By taking stock of your inner state of affairs, you can initiate a lasting spiritual turnaround. You learn to retrace your steps toward your more pristine origins and are blessed with the opportunity to have a second childhood. How so?

“By turning within and being considerate of the suppressed positive urges of your inner child that have been silenced by the overbearing adult in you, you will get back in touch with your lost innocence and start feeling again the sense of delightful freedom and insouciance that should bathe the world of children.

“The stumbling blocks erected by pride and deceit have to be moved out of the way, as humility and innocence are the prerequisites for the issuance of your adoption papers in the family of God, the official beginning of your second childhood—as a child of God.”