The Faith of a Child in Myth

Christianity and Myth

To believe in something as wonderful and special as the myth that Christianity is, it takes the special faith of a child.

Frederick Buecher writes, “When Jesus is asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, he reaches into the crowd and pulls out a child with a cheek full of bubble gum and eyes full of whatever a child’s eyes are full of and says unless you become like that, don’t bother to ask”

Why is it that Jesus so admires something as young and small as the faith that a child has to offer.

Isaiah 11:6 (New International Version) 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

Matthew 11:25 (New International Version) 25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because

you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Mark 9:36-37 (New International Version) 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he

said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

2 Timothy 3:14-15 (New International Version)14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced

of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

The faith of a child is full of innocence and trust, and it does not always rely on facts and visible reality to prove that something is true. God admires such simplicity.

Lewis uses Lucy as an example of simple childlike faith and trust, allowing her to be the first to enter into Narnia, and because of her caring childlike heart, she has the most intimate relationship with Aslan.

As we grow up and are taught to think, we begin to think so much, that things we once believed to be true as a child, slowly lose their magic and reality for us. We forget about the fairies, elves, and dear ones of our childhood fantasies, and as we grow up and tend to think about the world much more, we almost come to disbelieve what we once knew to be so certain. As we grow older our view of the world changes, and we lose what could be the greatest thing we have. We become bigger than ourselves. We lose our imaginations and our ability to believe in something greater than ourselves.

“Almost our whole education has been directed to silencing this shy persistent, inner voice; almost all our modern philosophies have been devised to convince us that the good of man is to be found on this earth.” (Lewis in the Weight of Glory)

Lewis when talking of a rose states how if you are not very careful, the color of the rose gets attributed to our optic nerves and its scent to our noses and in the end there is no rose left.

God desires the faith of a child because it is that unquestioning belief in the goodness of God's grace that will help us through life.

“The Christian in relation to heaven is in much the same position as this schoolboy. Those who have attained everlasting life in the vision of God doubtless know very well that it is no mere bribe, but the very consummation of their earthly discipleship; but we who have not yet attained it cannot know this in the same way and cannot even begin to know it at all except by continuing to obey and finding the first reward of our obedience in our increasing power to desire the ultimate reward. “(CS Lewis in the Weight of Glory)

Having Child Like faith is not always easy.

“Lucy is penalized for having a childlike attitude and loses the trust of those closest to her. Yet eventually after their adventures in Narnia have reached a peaceful conclusion, Lucy is called Queen Lucy the valiant. Apparently, childlike faith and perseverance are attitudes Aslan honors.”

From Jesus' perspective, it takes the humility of a child to grasp what the kingdom is about.

Childlike Faith and Childishness

There is a difference between childlike faith and childishness. Just as a tree adds rings, we must not lose the simple belief that we had as a child, but add our adult understanding to it. “I call this growth or development because I have been enriched”"To be truly Christian we must both assent to the historical fact and also receive the myth with the same imaginative embrace which we accord to all myths.” (Myth became fact)

It is time that we embrace the truth of the Myth of Christianity and follow Lucy into the wardrobe.