Why are there babies?

I am reading Mortimer Adler's book "How to Read a Book" and am in the chapter on how to read Philosophy. Adler points out that all of the great questions that are asked by philosophers are very similar to the questions children ask.

"Why are there people?" "Does the world have a brain?" "Why doesn't the moon crash into the stars?"

This got me thinking about how Jesus said we must be like children to enter the Kingdom of God. Maybe He meant that we should enter His Kingdom asking questions. Maybe we should look past our initial reasons for coming to Him and begin to wonder about things. Now that we are citizens of His Kingdom, what do we want to know? Why are there people? Why does He keep the world spinning? What is the purpose of the moon and all those stars?

Better yet, maybe He wants to answer the harder questions: Why do some people die young? What is the value of my life? Is it OK to want something I don't have yet?

Which brings me to my own question: Why are there babies? Why does God go on trusting people with little ones, when they are apparently the most interesting and precious part of His creation? Why give them to us before we have experience or skill sets for raising them? Parenting is the original learn-on-the-job occupation. Why did He decide to do that?

I think it is to remind us in each generation that there are important questions to be asked and we need children to remind us of them. Look at any baby and you know way more than she does about how to do things and what life is all about. But if you are her parent, before long you will discover that she knows a lot more than you do about how to ask important questions. Babies are here to remind us how faith works: Ask impossible questions and wait patiently for the answers.

Babies are like little spaceships full of surprises. They are God's little questioners and His gift to every generation. Aren't we blessed that He entrusts them to us? Every day with a baby is a gift!

Love ya, Baby!