By Paulo Coelho
In the year 1476, two men are standing in a medieval church, talking. They pause for a few moments before a painting showing two angels, hand in hand, walking towards a city.
‘We are living through the horrors of the bubonic plague,’ says one of the men. ‘People are dying. I don’t want to see images of angels.’
‘This painting is about the Plague,’ says the other man. ‘It is a representation of the Golden Legend. The angel dressed in red is Lucifer, the Evil One. Notice that attached to his belt he has a small bag; inside that bag is the epidemic that has devastated our lives and those of our families.’
The man studies the painting carefully. Lucifer really is carrying a small bag; however, the angel leading him along looks serene, peace-loving and enlightened.
‘If Lucifer is bringing the Plague, who is the other angel leading him by the hand?’
‘He is the angel of the Lord, the messenger of Good. Without his permission, the Evil One would be unable to reveal himself.’
‘What is he doing, then?’
‘He is showing him the place where men are to be purified by a tragedy.’
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I’m reading a little book called The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho.
One of my favorite parts so far is when Santiago, the shepherd, tells a gypsy about his recurring dream. Santiago says that, in the dream, a child tells him that his treasure can be found at the base of the pyramids in Egypt.
The gypsy says something like: “If a child said it, it must be true.”
The gypsy’s comment echoes my experience. Children are wiser than adults. Usually, if a child says it, it is true.
No wonder we tell them to hush.
This is why I think children should be at the forefront of church life. They know what we adults have forgotten in the process of growing up. Because of this, they are closer to God.
I also read a book by an angry atheist this summer. He believes the church commits great evil by indoctrinating children with religion when they are too naive to know fact from fiction.
I guess I have more faith in children. I see their open hearts and ability to understand the unseen as great assets in the church — and in the world. The trouble is the adults who try to dismiss them.
If a child said it, it must be true.
We better start listening.
This article is written by Amy Stuart Taylor @ blogspot. Please visit her blog : Welcoming Children to Church to read more from her and talk with her.
