Into The Heart (U2)

Into the heart of a child
I stay awhile
But I can go there.

Into the heart of a child
I can smile
I can’t go there.

Into the heart, into the heart of a child
I can’t go back
I can’t stay awhile.
Into the heart.

Into the heart.

Into The Heart is a song on U2’s Boy album. Into the heart of a child in not just some nostalgic desire to return to one’s youth. It is a deep statement about human existence. One needs to look to Jesus to understand what the heart of a child is. The Book of Matthew records the following discussion between Jesus and his disciples.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child, whom he placed among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (18:1-5)

The concept of the heart of the child is a means that Jesus used to convey a principle that he discussed throughout his ministry, which is that “[a]nyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) This is a song about humility. The song lays out the stages of human life, and it shows how we tend to grow away from that child like humility and innocence. In the first stage, one has the heart of a child. In the second stage, there is still a longing for the heart of a child, but it is largely gone. In the third stage, all remnant of the heart of the child is gone.

(Posted by Trask)