We know almost nothing about the childhood, adolescent and young adult years of Jesus. The Bible just leaves a blank, a gap, leaving us agnostically challenged. So since we don’t know, we can only wonder and guess at what happened. My guess is that his childhood was full of nurturing, tenderness, joy, empathy, patience, attention, and love. What we learn in childhood we act out in adulthood.

So what did he learn – my guess is the following

1. Don’t be afraid of men in authority / challenge them
2. Respect all people, women, children and men
3. Questioning is good –Question the accepted truth/ the dogma of the day/ patriarchy / injustice / bullies / self.
4. Big people don’t have all the answers / they are not always right
5. Life is about more than what we see
6. Be who your are / love self / have faith in self
7. Age doesn’t guarantee wisdom
8. What you see and what you hear is not always the truth
9. Treat others the way you want to be treated
10. Be tender, be loving, be kind, be thankful, be forgiving
11. Be empathic/ think of the other
12. Be fully integrated and emotionally intelligent.
13. Our lives are not just for ourselves.
14. Be authentic – be real / be direct
15. Be fair and speak out about injustice

Clearly Jesus held the child and childhood in high regard and linked this as the key to entering the kingdom of heaven.