"Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
The least of the Kingdom....
The word "least" signifies smallness in stature or height. Jesus praises the little people; he wants to keep us small so that we might grow very large in deed, grow large in appreciation and wonderment of it all.
"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller; if you could really look at other men with common curiosity and pleasure; if you could see them walking as they are in sunny selfishness and their virile indifference! You would begin to be interested in them, because they were not interested in you. YOU would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is played, and you would find yourself under a freer sky [for it would be bigger] in a street full of strangers." G.K. Chesterton
Recently we had the dedication of a Chapel at our renewal center. Before the rededication of the chapel and dedication of the altar, we got to look around a bit. Initially, there was some discussion about the newly added stain glass windows. They appeared to be done at a 3rd grade level. Some one made the comment that they looked like a elementary school art project. They were very very simple, one might even say small. In deed one needs to become small to appreciate their simplicity.
In hind sight, maybe they are not so bad after all. Maybe the windows invite us to truly become the "least in the kingdom" growing small so that we might embrace the largeness of life.
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