God - Seen Through A Child's Eyes

Recently Life magazine ran a photo essay about God - as seen through the eyes of 56 children. The photographs were taken by the children themselves to illustrate what they thought about God or what questions they would like to ask Him. Some of the photographs and comments were innocent, tender. Some were introspective, quietly thoughtful. Others posed the kinds of questions that just don't come with easy answers.

One contribution was a photograph that simply showed six hands, together, the fingers of each hand gently resting on another's. Twelve-year-old Beth had written, "I see God in the shape of hands because hands make and take care of things" (see Allison Adato, "Kids' Pictures to God," March 1998).

It's really a powerful metaphor. The way this child was seeing the creative, caring nature of God. She had found for herself a symbol of that in the hands of her friends and family. Then she photographed it. Inherently, she had felt that God must be loving.

Thousands of years ago, inspired writers in the Bible also saw the beauty and power of that same symbolism. "But now, O Lord, thou art our father;... and we all are the work of thy hand," declared the book of Isaiah (64:8). Or, as the Psalmist sang, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:... thy right hand upholdeth me" (Ps. 63:1, 8).

Of course, God is not a pair of physical hands. He isn't a physical being. The creator of all that is good, perfect, spiritual, beautiful, has to be infinite, pure, and perfect Spirit. God is the all-embracing, divine Love that not only creates but cares for all. God made each of us in His image. That's the truth of how we are created. And as His own image we must actually be spiritual - our real identity is totally the reflection of God. We are each His idea. Every idea of God is forever held in the divine consciousness. Infinite, divine Mind, God, never forgets an idea, never loses sight of it, never neglects it. This is the truth of how we are cared for, always.

I'm reminded of another young girl, whose father visited a Christian Science practitioner. He told the practitioner that his daughter was suffering with a serious kidney ailment and was scheduled for remedial surgery. Yet the prognosis for recovery was uncertain. There was concern expressed by the child's physicians about whether the operation would actually prove successful.

The girl's father had come to the Christian Scientist to seek healing through prayer alone. And as they prayed together over the next week, the spiritual reality of God and His creation was at the heart of their prayer. This Christian Science treatment was revealing the absolute fact that God had created the child in His own likeness, whole, free, and that He eternally cares for all of His children, maintaining every action and function in perfect order and harmony. As stated in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy's foundational work on Christian healing and the laws of God, "Every function of the real man is governed by the divine Mind." Also, "The divine Mind that made man maintains His own image and likeness" (Pg. 151).

The next week, the father returned to the practitioner's office. He said that the doctor had asked to examine his daughter again and now found no reason to recommend the surgery. The girl was well, and the doctor noted the successful reliance on Christian Science in a letter to the other physician who had been scheduled to perform the operation.

God's "hands" - His deep love - were caring for that child. God's truth was seen and known; His presence was felt.

Through the eyes of a child, and through a child's healing, God is tenderly revealed.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts;...

the streets of the city shall be

full of boys and girls playing

in the streets thereof.

Zechariah 8:4, 5