Every little cradle is a ship starting on the voyage of life. Little
Eyes looks out from its cabin windows and discovers that the land it
sees is America. It is not dreaming of lakes sublime or rivers
majestic. It is not in fact a discoverer. It is a _see-er_. It is
seeing things, real things, in the land it has just discovered. Its
first adventure is the finding of Mother, which means it has
discovered perfect love, protection, and tender care. Mother is
heaven, her shining eyes are the stars. There is a cry in the night.
Mother understands its language and gives her holy ministrations.
Watch Mother, she is the teacher God has trained. Listen to her first
"few words." Baby does. Mother understands. God give the preacher
this understanding. Learn how Mother her first "few words," then
"try, try again." Learn your first lesson in the language of a child.
It loves picture words. It learns the names of common things first.
Things fix themselves in the eyes. Its language is born as it looks.
Looks at a cow and calls it "moo cow." A picture word with action in
it! It looks at a lamb and coins its own word "Baa-lamb." Teach the
children in words full of pictures. They see objects and fix on them
certain ideas. Do the same in teaching them in their older days.
Clothe objects with ideas, and they will shine like stars in the
children's understanding. Words that are dear and familiar to adult
church-goers are so by long and sacred associations. Children have no
such relation to our "churchly" words.
This does not mean that we are to talk down to them and use "baby" or
silly talk. Children know when they are being "talked down to," and
resent it. When the preacher arrives to address the children in a
"few words," he should be of the same age as the child in his words
in order to establish contact. Why not? The Mother talks to the
children in words of their age. Let the preacher be like the Mother
when he stands to address his words to the little folks. Let him use
short words, plain sentences, pictureful words, and objects which the
children know, and thus become a child again. Let him see the big
world through the eyes of the children, and he will know what stories
the children like and do not like, and when he arrives in the pulpit,
their eyes will be fastened on him, and they will hear him gladly
because he is one of them.
So, as baby discovers America, you discover baby.
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