A Child’s Mind
November 13, 2023 | By Isaac Oberman DC‘26
image description: wall-e figure in the rain
The Tuesday right before fall break was completely free. I finished my midterms the day before. I had no homework to do. And, more than anything, I wanted to do something fun. So, after some deliberation, I met up with a friend, and we decided to watch a movie.
We ended up watching one of my favorite movies from my childhood, WALL-E. For those that don’t remember much of the story, a quick synopsis goes as follows: WALL-E is a plucky, little robot designed to compact trash, employed as a way to clean up Earth after years of consumerism had ruined the planet. WALL-E is all alone on Earth, but he longs for the connection of love he sees in some of the old movies he has collected. When a new robot, EVE, descends to earth one day to search for plant life, WALL-E immediately connects with her and does his best to strike up a relationship with EVE (she is comically oblivious to him). She eventually does find plant life, and an adventure ensues where WALL-E follows her to a large starship where the humans are. For me, the film is a joyous nostalgia trip, and what I found so moving about the film was that I was able to reconnect with my younger self while I watched it.
When I was younger, I saw a lot of the same characteristics in myself as I saw in WALL-E: a go-getter attitude, a love of collecting odd treasures, and a desire to find a love that lasts. I also have a deep appreciation of science fiction writing and films, which I attribute to my first time watching WALL-E. Rewatching the movie on that Tuesday, I felt like a little child. The captivatingly beautiful scenes in space moved me, the personality in WALL-E’s mannerisms made me laugh. I watched the movie with two sets of eyes: one looking ahead at the screen, and one looking back at myself. It felt like a conversation with my six year-old self—something I sorely needed.
Oftentimes, in the high octane environments of college and the “real world,” we tend to lose sight of ourselves. We lose the innocent, optimistic eyes of our youth and look cynically upon the world around us, sighing begrudgingly as we make our way to our next class. I have spent a staggering amount of time worrying over my Game Theory midterm grade and securing the best possible internship on LinkedIn, and every interaction with new people is a networking experience. Instead of embracing the wonder of the world like a child, I live in constant anxiety and stress. Jesus, however, calls us to reject this mentality.
In chapter 18 of the gospel of Matthew, the disciples are caught up in a dispute about their own magnanimous self-worth. Each one wanted to be the greatest among his brethren, to be seen highest in heaven, yet, Jesus does not feed into their egos and earthly worries. Instead, Jesus calls a little child over. That is, he did not just call any child over; he called a little child, the least of the children, to his side. In verse two, He took the child and “set him in the midst of them,” before responding to their dispute in verse three, saying “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become like little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus continues in verse 4: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus reminds us that the worries of this world are not important. When we worry over our status, we put ourselves before Him and His grace. When we worry over our grades and over our job prospects, we lose a little more of our optimism and our hope. We lose track of our dreams because they are only fantasies. We also lose focus on Christ and His strength. The only thing that matters is accomplishing the task directly ahead.
Jesus instead calls us to humble ourselves. We need to worry less about what others think of us because Christ loves us solely for who we are. Jesus loves and takes care of us even when we are at our worst. He welcomes us in. This can only happen when we humble ourselves, remind ourselves to be like little children, and come before his throne in humility. This is illustrated in one of my favorite hymns, “Just As I Am.” From the third, fifth, and sixth verses:
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, fear, and doubt
Fighting within, and fears without,
O Lamb of God I come, I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
This hymn reminds us of the importance of humbling ourselves before God. Oftentimes, we are tossed about by the worries of the world on all sides, both around us and inside us. But, regardless of our own travails, when we come before God He delivers us from the anxiety and disorder of this world, surrounds us with his love, and, through faith, allows us to be His alone. We rest and trust in His protection, like a child looks up to their father.
The hymn, like WALL-E, reminds me to humble myself like a little child. To remember the innocence of my youth, lost to papers and problem sets. When the movie was over, one pair of my eyes, watching the screen, moved on to other matters, but the other set of eyes still looked inward, keeping my youth in sight. By remembering our youth and humbling ourselves, we can find hope in a world full of despair, clinging to Christ’s promise in Matthew 18:4 that those who humble themselves will be elevated in the Kingdom of Heaven.