Humility is a critical spiritual disposition, and when I think of humility, I often think of a very small child – perhaps because Jesus says, “Let the children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Mt 19:14). The word “humility” comes from the Latin word humus, meaning “ground” or “earth.” To be humble is to stay close to the earth. The youngest among us are physically nearer to the earth by way of their physical stature, but also stay close to the earth by way of their deep attention and amazement at even the smallest things: animals, bugs, patterns on walls, funny sounds, holding the gaze of another person. This kind of attention allows one to recognize God’s presence amid things – no wonder children navigate the world with a natural sense of enchantment. Children are excellent mirrors, readily absorbing what they see and hear and reflecting it back to those around them unashamedly. They are deeply in tune with the flow (or lack thereof) in a situation – if you want to know if an environment is peaceful, place a child in the midst of it and see how they respond. They have not developed the many masks that we use to get through life as we age. They are who they are, mess and all, but it is an honest, authentic messiness that leaves them open to love and healing wherever it can be found. In these ways, may we all be more like children.