Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, NC, a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. His books are available on Amazon and at www.wordofhismouth.com

I had a unicorn in church today. Not a four-legged, mythical kind of unicorn, mind you, but a two legged unicorn in a pretty pink dress. She came twirling up onto the platform to greet me as she, and most of our other young kids in church, do each week. She had a unicorn headband on, with a golden horn that I would estimate to be about five inches long.

She giggled when I asked her what a unicorn was doing up on the platform in church.

This was our first unicorn, though I must tell you that we have also had Batman, Spider Man, Iron Man, and the occasional Minion in church as well.

And none of them bother me in the least. In fact, they always tend to spur my creative juices when they show up…

“The unicorn in church today so quickly caught my eye; some thought it strange to see her there and may have wondered why.

“She pranced onto the platform, as unicorns will do; she bowed a little curtsey, and me, well I bowed too.

“I’ve never see a unicorn in church,” I smiled and said, the unicorn just shook her mane and raised her regal head.

“And though I am just mortal and far beneath her kin, she seemed to seek approval as she looked at me and grinned.

“I called her over to me and hugged her good and tight; I said, “I’m glad you’re here today,” she smiled, and then took flight.

“One day she’ll grow much older, her unicorn days o’er, her hours of childish fantasy give way to grown up chores.

“But I hope she will remember with fondness one glad day, that unicorns were welcome here and weren’t turned away.”

They grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday all of mine were that age and had their own childish fantasies. Now we sit around before family prayer time each night and talk about college, politics, business, investing, and geopolitical concerns around the globe, and I know that before too many more years, they will all be raising families of their own.

I knew in my head these days would come, but I never dreamed they would get here so fast.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I know full well the context of the verse. But the context does not change the details Paul gave to bolster his argument. As a child, Paul literally thought as a child.

Kids do that. They are unicorns and batman, they giggle, they dream outlandish daydreams. And parents and pastors ought nought be too busy or too serious to step into that world for a moment when invited. The child wanting your view on her unicorn horn today will very likely, if you make that connection, want you to tell her what the Bible says about salvation as she gets older.

Trust me; I know. Just a few weeks ago I baptized our former little Batman, for whom at his request, during his Batman days, I wrote the song “Jesus Loves Batman.”

Jesus did not say, “Turn your children into miniature adults and then let them come unto me.” He just said, “Suffer (allow) the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.”

I suspect he meant unicorn horn and all.

Pastor Wagner can be contacted by email at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org

(Feature photo by Bo Wagner)