Whenever I feel homesick for my community back in Washington, DC, USA, I pull out my scrapbook from teaching early years and Sunday school. On the Sunday school page, there are abstract drawings, folded pieces of paper, sketches of dinosaurs, and a note written by the oldest student: “God is with you always.”

These words, spelled out with the inconsistently sized letters and wavering hand of children’s writing, give me comfort every time I read them. I’m awestruck at the wisdom of those words they chose. These were the exact words I needed to hear when I was leaving my home of 6 years, and that they continue to be the exact words I need to hear when I feel lonely, sad, or uncertain. How did they know?

According to Alison Gopnik, they may have been able to distill that wisdom precisely because they are young children. Between the ages of zero and five, the brain is undergoing the most active period of development in the human lifespan. The brain’s ability to control and regulate itself is not yet developed, and instead, as Gopink puts it, young children are in a state of “wild exploration” where they are fully open to the world around them. Indeed, they are fully open to God in ways that are fundamentally different from adults.

As the state-based early childhood education system debates, innovates, and aims to strike the right balance between targeted focus on literacy and mathematics and play, I am struck by the opportunity the church has to provide children with the space for the “wild exploration” of God. I like to think this is what we did back at my church in DC, and that using the Godly Play format fostered the development of what the Reggio Emilia approach calls the 100 languages of children. By giving children the opportunity to play and explore their spirituality, the children were able to cultivate a multitude of “languages” through which express their thinking and connect with God.

Some of these languages are reflected in the artwork that surrounds the “God is with you always” note on my scrapbook page. I’m struck that there are other pieces of wisdom and insight in that artwork, just in a language that I do not understand. It’s another reminder for me of the unique ways that young children engage with God. It is also a call for me to continue to create the space for children to grow in that relationship with Him at this special time in their lives.

Lord, just like young children, may we all make use of many languages to hear your voice and share your love with others.

Laura White

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