Sacred Wonder: Rediscovering Scripture Through the Eyes of My Children

My 6-year-old daughter and I recently started reading chapter books together. The experience of a narrative slowly unfolding mesmerizes her. The story, “Wildsmith,” by Liz Flanagan, pulls her in, capturing her interest and holding it tightly over the days it takes us to complete the book. Each night she begs for “just one more chapter” and scans the occasional illustration for hints at the upcoming plot. These encouraging signs of a lifelong reader warm the hearts of her bookworm parents.

What a gift to journey into a story with someone experiencing it for the first time. What a blessing for the seasoned reader to wade into the narrative alongside someone completely unaware of the tried-and-true tropes and where the winding stream of plot will whisk them.

The wonder, excitement, and sheer enjoyment of these first encounters with a story convey magic to the reader. Reading alongside my daughter reminds me of that time long ago when I first cracked open a beloved book; the first time I came across a lamppost in a snowy wood, or a hobbit snug in his hole until a knock sounded on the door.

These moments of discovery linger with us as readers. They grant us a glimpse of something beyond our world and yet intrinsically connected to our own experience. We need to be reminded of these original moments of magic, of those times in our lives when the story was fresh and more powerful for it.

My daughters remind me of this wonder of discovery in more than fiction. When we read stories from Scripture, their reactions are undiluted by familiarity. Each plot point is baffling and at times frustrating for them. Their flabbergasted interruptions of: “They put Mary in a stable? With animals? Why wouldn’t anyone give up their hotel room?!” are all valid questions. Their practical queries raise similarly astute concerns, “If God gave Adam and Eve clothes made from animal fur, which animals had to die? Or did God just make fur without the animals?”

LISTEN: How Memorizing Scripture Can Benefit Your Faith Life

Their reactions make me think — why don’t we consider these things more deeply as adults? We should be outraged about the Son of God being born in squalor; we should ask what the fall meant for the animals. We too need to engage with Scripture as if it is our first time reading it, with the eyes and hearts of children, taking in every detail and asking the hard questions.

Whether it’s desensitization after years of hearing the stories, or mere laziness, I often lack the vivacity of my children when reading Scripture. My oldest daughter cannot get enough of stories from the Bible. Her fervor for Scripture has her spouting off biblical facts and stories as common examples in daily life. When I asked why we should hold hands in a parking lot, she replied, “Because Mary and Joseph lost Jesus for three days on a road trip.” While comical at times, it is also deeply encouraging and inspiring to see her hunger for the Word and her ability to notice how it impacts our daily lives.

Her love for the Bible has yielded fascinating connections that, in all my years of theological study, had never occurred to me. She was around 3 years old when we began reading an Advent book. We reached the section where Christ was presented at the temple (Luke 2:22-40), my daughter piped up announcing proudly, “I was presented at the temple!” The table went silent. “What do you mean, love?” I asked. She jumped out of her chair and rushed to the bookcase where a photo was framed. When she returned, she held out the photograph with triumph. “See, this is me presented at the temple!” The photo captured the moment she was baptized: our kind priest pouring holy water from a seashell onto her head, as she is cradled in her aunt’s arms, all cast in glittering light from the stained-glass window behind us. “You’re right,” I reply, “you were presented at the temple. This was our church, and this is your baptism. It was a lot like when Jesus was presented!”

The connections between Christ’s presentation and infant baptism lingered with me after her sweet interjection. The faith of a family, the gathering of community, and the richness of grace permeate both the presentation narrative and the Sacrament of Baptism. Her mind was quick to see the similarities in these babies being brought to church, but the level of insight went far deeper for those of us who were fortunate enough to hear her fresh perspective.

Viewing art and Scripture through the eyes of a child is a wondrous gift. While rereading beloved books and narratives from the Bible may grant a deeper understanding of the text, the first encounter with a story conveys a magic, a pulse of excitement and anticipation, that is nearly sacred in its sense of wonder. As I endeavor to provide my daughter with stories grand enough for her voracious mind, I am struck by a deep gratitude for Scripture. For amidst its nuances and challenges, there resides such a deep spiritual connection to our daily lives. Centuries of scholars have postulated and written libraries of books on the Bible’s passages, yet, if we retain the wonder of a child and the curiosity to read as if it’s our first time, there is always more to uncover.