Episode 115 - Reclaiming Innocence
We are each born in innocence, and as we grow to adulthood, we experience its loss. At some level, we want to reclaim this lost innocence, but don’t know how or whether it would fit in the adult world. We can't reclaim it by taking it from another, or living vicariously through our children. We actually have to do the inner healing work to find/integrate it. And we have to actively engage our child-like nature in our day-to-day lives. When we 'become as little children,' we truly 'know God.' We are able to see through outer appearances to the innocence of another. In this episode we share our experiences of lost innocence, what we do to reclaim it, and why this is so important today.
NOTES
We are each born in innocence
We each experience its loss through:
Socialization
Cultural indoctrination
Abuse
Poverty
War/Crime
When we grow up, we socialize and indoctrinate our own children
Patterns repeat
Indoctrination includes teaching 'Us' versus 'them’ as well a normalized acts of violence toward other beings and our planet
We also indoctrinate with belief structures!
Political
Religious
Social
Economic
At some level, we want our innocence back, but it doesn't fit in the 'real world'
So we play the 'adult game of life' to the best of our ability
We get busy, overwhelmed, responsible and/or buried in life’s ‘problems’
Wayshower Jesus:
Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1, 3
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17
Children are 'closer to God’
A baby doesn't know where she ends and another starts
Oneness and wonder
Deserves to be protected, revered and cherished
The Kingdom:
The inner experience of our authentic Self, unconditional Love, Oneness
To fully experience this we actually have to become as little children - we have to reclaim our innocence
Healing/integration work
Actively engage our child-like nature
Becoming a child:
•Trust •Wonder/Awe •Presence •Discovery •Receptivity/Non-judgment •Unbridled Joy (no self-consciousness) •Play
When we 'become as little children,' we truly 'know God’
We see through outer appearances to the innocence of another
Dialogue and Inquiry
Do you know what keeps you from reclaiming your own innocence? Is there resistance? What thought structures are in place?
How would being an adult with an integrated inner child (innocence) look in real life? Do you have an example or role model of a person who has done this work?
Can you remember your own child innocence and its loss?
Which of the expressions of innocence calls to you the most? (i.e. trust, wonder/awe, presence, discovery, receptivity/non-judgment, unbridled joy, play, etc.) Which do you resist? Do you know why?
Do you think you can experience the fullness of the Kingdom (authentic Self, unconditional Love and Oneness) without 'becoming as a child?’
Can you identify ways we can break the pattern (in our families and society) of stripping our children of their innocence?
How do you reclaim your own innocence?
Closing Thought
I am God's beloved. Born in purity and innocence, I came into the world as a bundle of wonder, discovery and joy. While I have grown in wisdom and maturity, this is still a part of who I am, my authentic nature. To be whole, I reclaim my innocence and actively engage my child-like nature daily. I find ways to play, see something in a new way, and live in awe.