In heaven we are like children

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are child like.

It took me twenty some years to really get it.

A ray of light penetrated me one day when I was reminiscing about my university days.

I went to university in the early 1980s in Shanghai, China, when there was no such thing as a student job or doing anything to make money while being a student. We were 100 per cent, pure students, and nothing else. Job and money came later, after graduation. In the planned economy under centralized control, the university was responsible for finding positions and assign one to each of us. We were the “proud sons of heaven.” Or so we thought.

We had no experience in the real world. We didn’t have to work, deal with jealous colleagues, bribe officials or fight corrupt party leaders for fair treatment. Our world was the world of books and magazines. The non-science magazines were full of lofty ideas and heart nurturing stories. We were, as it is said, living in the ivory tower.

We got surprised when we saw people arguing for things we deemed trivial. We couldn’t understand why peole got so agitated for things we couldn’t care less. We were puzzled by people who couldn’t live together peacefully and be courteous to each other.

In a word, we were naive.

We did not know the complexities of the world. We had not been exposed to the dark side of society. We had not learned malice. Therefore, we did not taste the bitter fruits of those roots of unhappiness.

There was no conflict of interest. Competitions were fair. No games, no pretexts, no suspicion, and no pretending. Life was simple.

We were honest, sincere, and free to speak our minds.

We had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, a lot of spontaneity and genuine friendships.

We were our innocent selves. We were big children.

We were above the world, and its games, worries, traps and shackles.

We were worry-free and happy.

In heaven, we are pure souls, like children, inocent, humble, free and happy. There is no game, no pretext, no suspicion, and no pretending. We are loving, honest, sincere, and transparent.

In the real world, those gifts were taken away from me one after another. I distinctively remember the moment this came to my counsciouness. It was 18 months after my graduation.

I lost my child-like innocence. I lost my paradise.

I was gradually pulled down from heaven to earth.

I became an adult.

In the years that followed, I learned, experienced, and “matured.”

Thank God, at the end of my growing pain, the wind of change swept by me, blowing off layers of dust over my soul. The light of truth began to shine through.

It took me a long decade to unlearn, deprogram and re-mature. In my re-marity I re-discovered that heaven is never far from us.

Heaven is always here and now.

If only we could be simple again – detach ourselves from the world and be child-like: inocent, free, humble and happy; loving, honest, sincere and transparent; and no games, no pretexts, no suspicion and no pretending.

Be who we really are.

Be soul.

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