For my little niece, Angelina, whose art rests at the heart of this composition, and in whose joy we glimpse the Kingdom of God—alongside her sisters, Angelika and Ariana.
At the center of this work is a drawing made by my five-year-old niece, Angelina. I watched her joyfully scribble it in under three minutes, churning out drawing after drawing and handing each one to me with an eager smile. In this piece, she first drew a self-portrait (her wearing a crown), then graciously decided to include me (taking some creative liberties in giving me a third arm!).
I imagine the scene in Matthew 19: toddlers wailing, little ones slipping from their parents’ arms, parents offering apologetic glances toward the frowning disciples as the scene around Jesus grows increasingly disorderly and loud. Those of us who’ve participated in group infant baptisms and baby dedications (when one cries, the chain reaction begins!), have led children’s sermon moments with restless kids squirming about, or had the joy of watching our little ones participate in a kids’ choir performance that goes delightfully rogue, can easily relate.
The disciples, feeling the weight of being seen as serious leaders alongside their rabbi, Jesus, may have tried to preserve a sense of reverence by shooing away the parents bringing their children to him. Yet here, Jesus reorients his disciples (and us) away from the illusion of control and reminds us that it is the joyful, unruly, sincere presence of a child to whom the kingdom truly belongs. Just a chapter earlier, in Matthew 18, Jesus tells his followers that unless they become like little children, they will not even enter the kingdom. Surely the disciples thought Jesus couldn’t mean that literally—right?
While I’ve been busy making art, Angelina has been busy being an artist. I surely could learn a thing or two from her about inheriting the kingdom.
– Carmelle Beaugelin Caldwell
