Childlikeness
Reading George MacDonald has become one of my latest micro-studies. As an influencer of both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, I have to spend some time studying this literary genius. Symbols and metaphors enrich MacDonald’s narratives, allowing us to engage with the characters on a deeper level and reflect on our own lives and spiritual journeys. Each character’s development is often directly tied to their interactions with these symbols, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and belief in the quest for meaning.
In order for us, as adult readers, to fully interact we must become “childlike.” A passage of scripture that influenced MacDonald was Matthew 18:2-6 King James Version:
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
As both an educator and person who is often described as childlike, I love those verses. To really learn we must become like little children. Our days of being hyper inquisitive and imaginative. I believe MacDonald was obsessed with this “childlikeness.” He said of the Bible verse quoted above, “‘He that sees the essential in this child, the pure childhood, sees that which is the essence of me,’ grace and truth – in a word, childlikeness. It follows not that the former is perfect as the latter, but it is the same in kind.” MacDonald’s stories are both for the young in age and for the childlike of any age. This childlikeness go for our spiritual truth as well as our approach to art.
In the latest story I am reading, The Golden Key, we find Grandmother, who is wise, ancient in age, but yet looked and acted like a young woman. The protagonists Mossy and Tangle, who we only know by those nicknames, embark, with Grandmother’s guidance on a journey that explores themes of growth, creativity, and the pursuit of deeper meaning in life. The Golden Key itself serves as a symbol of unlocking new realms of understanding, thus embodying timeless wisdom and insight throughout the narrative.
Macdonald reminded us that curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, not age, lead to spiritual awakening. True growth and wisdom are not necessarily tied to physical age but rather to one’s inner journey.
Byron's Babbles 
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