A PICTURE OF INNOCENSE

Unless you become like a little child. . . .

By Lenora Grimaud

(Dedicated to my son, Daniel)

In the midst of so much evil and darkness in the world, today, it is hard to get a clear picture of what true innocence really is. I recall, however, a day when I was given the gift of seeing a beautiful illustration of what it means to be truly innocent. It was a crisp winter day in the high desert of California. The ground was covered with snow, but it was a clear day and the sun shown brightly in the sky. My son, who was only three years old at the time, went out on our patio to play. I looked out my kitchen window to check on him. It was a sight to behold. There, was my little boy, standing on the patio table, stark naked. The table was covered with a blanket of snow, but he might as well have been standing on a cloud. His arms were out-stretched, as he gazed, first up at the sky, and then down upon all his stuffed animals lined up on the ground, starring up at him. He was smiling from ear to ear, with his mouth wide open, and his eyes twinkling like stars. I never in my life witnessed such joy as the joy that radiated from his face. I immediately ran outside and said to him, “Danny, what are you doing?” Full of excitement, he responded, “Mom, I just saw God . . . .and I am playing God!”

I can only imagine that the first man, Adam, created in innocence, in the image and likeness of God, had this same experience when he first opened his eyes. This is the season of Lent, when we remember a new Adam—Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the living God. There is no wooden picnic table for him to stand on, however. Instead, he is hanging naked from a wooden cross, with tears of blood streaming down his face. His arms are outstretched, fixed in place by nails, holding him fast to the cross. He was crucified as a criminal, though he was innocent.

Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)

He was not only innocent of the crimes he was crucified for, he was innocent of all sin. He was the only human who was truly innocent; except his mother, and perhaps, those under the age of three years old. Unlike my son, he did not radiate joy in his face, but only deep sorrow for the people gazing up at him; for those who crucified him. Experiencing the full weight of the sins of mankind upon his body, he called out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” His mutilated flesh even prevented him from the solace of seeing the face of God, as he felt what it is to be abandoned even by his heavenly Father. Jesus always insisted that he only did what he saw the Father doing (Jn 5:19). On the Cross, he could only “play” God by imitating the love of God, through the pain and sorrow which emanated from the separation between God and his people. His mother stood below him, sharing his deep pain and sorrow, as she cried out, “My son, what are you doing?” With a deep sigh from a heart bursting with love, he responded: “It is finished! This is why I came! I have fulfilled the promise of the Father to save my people. Mother, woman, I give you my people. Behold my people as your son. I will rise again, and so will my people. When they are born again of the Holy Spirit, they will become like a little child. Once again, they will have the joy of pure innocence and see the face of God.” This man, Jesus, was the son of Mary, the chosen Mother of God for all eternity.