Here’s a huge understatement: Babies are cute. There’s just something about seeing a tiny person that makes most of us smile. I am sure someone has studied this in great detail. All I know is that it is hard not to smile when a baby laughs at you. Have you ever wondered why we change our ways when we are around infants? No one really talks “normal” to a baby. Instead, we develop some strange caveman-type language filled with “goos” and “gaas.” What are we doing? Do we somehow think that these kinds of sounds will mean something to them? Who knows? Maybe it does.
What about games? Have you ever played any kind of game with a baby? If so what was it? I bet I know the answer:
Peek-a-boo
Admit it. You have played this game. Probably many times. And if you spend any amount of time with an infant in the future you will again. This may be the most played game in the world. Babies everywhere in all parts of the world play peek-a-boo. But just in case you are one of those rare people who has never heard of this, I will explain it to you.
The rules of this game are very simple. First you make eye contact with the baby. Then you hide your eyes, usually with your hands. You wait for a second or two before revealing your face again while saying the magic words “Peek-a-boo!” The baby will almost assuredly laugh at this. And then you repeat this pattern as long as you like. It never really gets old for the baby.
Now let me ask you this: Why is peek-a-boo fun for a baby? What is it about the game that makes them laugh? If you try this game out with an adult you will most likely not get laughter as a response. Even if you try to play peek-a-boo with a five-year old you will get a strange look coming back at you. But play it with a one-year old and it is non-stop fun. Why?
I think I have the answer. It is called object permanence. You may have heard of that before, but I will explain it anyway. Imagine that there are two people in a room: person A and person B. Person B then leaves the room. From the perspective of person A, does person B cease to exist? Person A can’t sense person B anymore. He or she can’t hear or see the other person. How do you know that the person that left the room is still there?
It sounds a little silly to us, but that is only because we aren’t babies. We learned long ago the concept of object permanence. We know that someone or something doesn’t just cease to exist when we can no longer sense them or it. Babies have to learn this. The game of peek-a-boo helps them to figure it out. They see you cover your eyes, but you still know they are there. A baby will often laugh with delight when you reveal yourself. Why? Object permanence is reinforced. They are figuring things out about the world.
You are back. You disappeared. Now you are back. After a while you start to predict the outcome. You somehow know that when you open your eyes, your parent will be there.
Object permanence occurs after about 2 years tops in people. What it really can mean is that there is an understanding that you are not the center of the universe. There is more to what is out there than what you can sense. Biblical Jews understood this concept for God. Most of the religions of the world maintained that the deity or deities they worshipped were far away. The ancient Greek Gods, for example were on Mount Olympus, nowhere near the people. The Egyptian god of the Sun? If you wanted to find him you could look up in the sky during the day. You get the picture. But the Jews were different. They made a space for God in their tabernacle:
Exodus 26:30-35
30 “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain.
31 “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. 32 Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. 33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. 34 Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place. 35 Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side.
The meaning of this was clear. God was with the people, not apart from them. God is not far away. It may be that you cannot “see” God, just like a baby playing peek-a-boo, but when you open your eyes and see God you laugh because you are reminded of God’s presence again.
And the more you play this game the better you feel because you know that God is always there.
So let our faith grow so that we can foster the spiritual version of object permanence. God is here. God sees us. God laughs with us. God probably thinks we are cute, too.
God Bless