Kidding Around
When the Mk3 Volkswagen GTi debuted in 1993, fans noticed a distinct loss of playfulness. The first two generations were as earnest and endearing as a puppy that followed you home, and driving it hard felt like getting away with something, like driving a shopping cart on two wheels when no one was looking. The Mk3 was more for grown-ups, and as such, it emphasized grown-up priorities like better sound insulation and a more comfort-oriented, sophisticated suspension. Its interior still had the golf-ball-dimpled shifter but was now a more serious place for contemplating grown-up things – like tax codes – while trimming your nostril hairs.
This would be a continual challenge for the GTi as it grew and matured, for equally grown-up reasons: unfavorable currency exchange rates, competition from upmarket rivals, and probably something about taxes and insurance. Adulting is hard.
But a person cannot remain a child forever, so some balance is needed. Jesus spoke about this when he interacted with children in one of the most touching and tender depictions of the Savior:
“He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:14-16)
Children are well-capable of sinning; ask any parent of a 2 year-old. But Jesus is emphasizing and even advocating some of the best qualities of childhood: A simple faith, sincere trust, uncomplicated values, and a heart that isn’t ashamed to feel emotions.
Some of these get lost during a person’s tumultuous transition from child to adult. Maybe it seems more natural, or even necessary, to feel jaded or skeptical. After all, the world is a scary, complicated place. Because of the sinful desires of humans, it becomes easier to sin like an adult, like telling lies that seem necessary and maintaining a “healthy” emotional distance from people – and one’s own self. Before Jesus had this interaction with the children, some dry old folks asked him about divorce. Children have no need of the concept of divorce. Adults do.
Jesus isn’t asking anyone to run from their adult responsibilities or aged wisdom. In fact, the author of Hebrews urges believers to advance in their Biblical understanding and matriculate beyond Sunday School stories into a mature faith (see Hebrews 5:11-14). Jesus wants you to know him and love him as a child sitting at his feet and listening to him. He is always available, and he wants you to seek him. For guidance, he wants you to rely on him, not a board of directors. For assurance, he wants you to think of his promise of eternal life, not your investment portfolio. For pleasure, he wants you to find joy in the passages of Scripture he read as a child, not seek new pleasures in sinful “gray” areas.
Listen to Jesus, tenderly inviting you to sit with him. Some of those crusty old adults may try to get in the way, but they can’t. Jesus is pushing them away, leaving a spot right by him for you to sit, listen, and talk about whatever adult problem is on your mind.
When the Mk3 GTi hit U.S. dealerships in 1993, it carried a $16,700 price tag (about the same as a Geo Prizm) and ran the quarter-mile in a poky 17.5 seconds. A powerful VR6 model was optional, taking horsepower from 115 to 172. This was due to circumstantial factors like a changing product portfolio and emerging macroeconomic factors, all of which were lost on VR6 buyers every time they floored the pedal and found themselves wearing a big, childish grin.
