we do the hokey pokey and we turn ourselves around

So the first thing that I can really remember this morning was standing in a line, and then someone over an intercom, telling us it was time to get ready for the hokey pokey. . .

no i wasn't at a skating rink . . . and no this wasn't the twilight zone.

I actually spent half of my day at the Indianapolis children's museum. and there is nothing like starting your day off then doing the hokey pokey with a couple hundred little kids.

(tangent)
if for some reason you are thinking about having kids . . . your first step is to spend a day at any children's museum . . . it maybe the most effective form of birth control known to man . . . just food for thought.

(anyways)
so I went with my sister, and my nephew and nieces. It was really fun, and so much had changed since I had been to the museum. What I really enjoyed was watching my kids (Blake, Blair & Bree) enjoy themselves. Watching them discovering things, and putting on costumes, and being creative was such a good thing for me.
it made me think of this one conversation that Jesus had.

Matthew 18:1-6
1) At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2) He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3) And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4) Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5) "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6) if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

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after I recall this story I always wonder what part of being like children was Jesus getting at. was it being messy ? was it about playing games ? was it about being cute ? or was it about something else ?

the common thing I have heard, and I'm pretty sure I heard it the whole time i was growing up was, that Jesus was talking about faith. That we need to have faith like children. Which most people who don't know God, see this as a blind faith, or an unreasonable faith. Then this leads into debates about what kind of faith we should have . . . but I have come to the personal conclusion (and I say personal because I'm not telling you to think this) that Jesus is not talking about faith.

there is something else I think he might be getting at.

there is a certain innocence that children have. you know what I mean, they haven't been corrupted. not that kids don't do bad things, I'm talking about a different kind of corruption. it is a corruption of civilization.

(i think) the reason jesus tells us to be like children to enter the kingdom is the same reason that at 9am there were 100 kids doing the hokey pokey.

their hearts have no been corrupted by the civilized-ness that we have created. When the hokey pokey started this morning the first thought in my head was "oh come on" . . . why was that. It is because i have been civilized. I have been told so many times, that I should act like my age or group up, or fit in, or don't stand out . . . that I have lost the innocence of being uncivilized.

maybe I am crazy but what Jesus' conversation stemmed directly from someone basically saying . . . Jesus how can I be the greatest . . . what steps do I need to do . . . what are all the right moves to get me to the right place . . . what is the right path . . . what is appropriate for me . . . this kinds of questions come from a conforming nature. This nature says how do i fit in and do the right things so I get what I want, or think is important.

I think Jesus wants us to live lives that are uncivilized. Lives that don't focus on fitting in, and "doing the right things" as much as he wants us to know him, and live OUR LIVES passionately for him.

you know jesus did more than answer the question . . . he went on to say that if you steal this innocence from someone, if you civilize them, then you would be better off drowning with a giant stone around your neck. (nice jesus) He was pretty blunt, about not stealing someone's innocence.

So this morning as I was looking very awkward about the hokey pokey, i noticed one of my nieces stopped participating. It was clear that she was thinking, I am too old to be doing this.

I think in that moment, my heart broke a little bit . . . I don't want her to loose that passion for life, and for living in the moment. so in that moment I decided to put my right arm in and shake it all about. I did the hokey pokey and I turned myself around

that's what it's all about.