LOVE
It Takes a Child to Raise a Village

By Suzi Lula

When performing christenings, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith often quotes the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and then adds to it, “It takes a child to raise a village.”

Within each of us is a child, one that can be filled with unmet needs from childhood. We sometimes find a child who has tantrums, a resistant child, a child full of sadness, shame, longing and regret. We sometimes believe that this is who we are. We allow this longing to isolate us, to cause us to indulge in unconscious behaviors, to look outside of ourselves for fulfillment thinking that money, marriage, or a job could fill this inner void. We allow a misunderstanding of who we truly are to limit our lives, our choices, to keep us safe and small, and experience suffering all the while.

Did you know that you can crack open the shell of your own suffering?

When we have the courage to look beneath the surface of our childhood misunderstandings, we find a divine child sitting in quiet repose awaiting our homecoming. The master teacher, Jesus the Christ, said we must be like a child to enter the Kingdom, meaning the consciousness of Heaven. Each one of us is born divine, whole, perfect. Every child is born conscious of its connection to and union with God.

We need only look into the eyes of an infant who is naked, unadorned and unencumbered, who has no job, no degrees, no achievements, and see the utter contentment of being in his or her divine “skin.” Allow the divine child within you to usher you home into your own heart.

We are here to walk ourselves home. Let the divine child within you lead the way.

The Practice:

Select a photo of yourself as a young child. Before beginning to meditate, look into your physical eyes and see the divine being that is reflected in them. See your innocence and purity. Connect with your authentic essence of wholeness, abundance, joy and divinity shining in your eyes and in your photo. Allow your unique, childlike essence to emerge. Allow a soul-remembrance of who you truly are to emerge. Should you choose, you can make this a 21-day practice for communing with your divine nature every morning before meditating.

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