When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today

by Eve Anderson

Another powerful way Christian life and truth are communicated is by being with people who live by faith. Francis Schaeffer, my father, used to say, “Faith can be caught, not taught.” Children sense the genuine and discard the phony. Prayer is powerful. Children who grow up seeing actual answers to prayer in little and big details of life as people pray, genuinely trusting God, will never forget this. There is no guarantee that a child will choose to believe or want to live a Christian life later on. And we must not brainwash them in any way. It will be their choice. They need to know why and how the Christian faith is believed to be true—to hear clear answers that demonstrate that Christianity fits into reality like a key into a lock. They need to be introduced to the living person of Jesus, who is a shepherd seeking them, loving them. He is there; this must be no school lesson. It is terrible to turn this amazing person into a lesson. Children must catch the scent, the scene, the wonder of who He is. If they are used to being interested and moved by other stories, the person or persons in this story will reach them more easily. His Word is the best way to learn about God and His way of working in real history. Love is a great attraction for people, and if children are able to understand this “old, old story of Jesus and His love,” their hearts often open to the Savior who is the source of love, goodness, beauty, and abundant life. Children love in return. They appreciate...