You were always told to be smart. I want to tell you that it is not always wise to be smart.

The opposite of smart might be innocent. Choose innocence. It is better not to know everything, beloveds. It is better to not know all the angles. It is better not to calculate. It is better to come from openness rather than closedness. When you are smart, you presuppose. When you are innocent, you see things as they are. As one who is clever, you look to protect yourself. As one who is not clever, you simply see and hear, and, in so doing, you may change the whole tenor of a room.

Innocence is not stupid, beloveds. Innocence can discern.

Here is something important. Innocence doesn’t play dumb. Innocence doesn’t say, “Walk all over me.” Innocence doesn’t say, “I won’t ask you any questions.”

Cleverness is like a bloodhound who sets out to follow a certain scent whereas innocence has no trail to follow. Innocence is all ears. Innocence does not have a prepared agenda. Innocence can sense what is true and what is false, and is not shy to say. Innocence asks its questions, only innocence does not start off suspicious. It does not have to stave off suspicion because it hasn’t brought suspicion in. Innocence starts off with good will. Innocence sets up a good conference.

Innocence is like the sun that appears every day. The sun rises up over the horizon. The sun is not jaded. The sun is no one’s fool, and yet the sun rises brightly, as if each day were new. The innocent sun doesn’t keep thinking of the clouds that covered it the day before. The sun gives the benefit of the doubt, and the sun expects to be welcomed. Even songs have been written to the sun. “Here comes the sun…”

I shall sing a song, “Here comes innocence like the sun.” Innocence is a beautiful thing. Innocence breeds innocence. Craftiness breeds craftiness.

Innocence is wide-eyed. Cleverness squints its eyes. Keep your eyes open, beloveds. Keeping your eyes open does not mean to look for fault. It means to look for truth instead.

Cleverness seems to look out for itself, whereas innocence has no bias and favors all.

Oh, to be innocent again! What a possession, what a treasure. Innocence is not self-possessed.

When you go to a meeting, do not consider that you are walking into the lion’s den.

What is innocence but a willingness to love? Innocence has a willingness to see for itself. Innocence does not have its mind made up when it walks into a meeting. Innocence is more willing to see what develops. Innocence precludes nothing. Innocence is open to discover and to enjoy. Innocence can listen. Sophistication may know too much to listen.

I am talking of what it means when My son said, “Be as the little child.” Come from a place of innocence. Know it’s good. Innocence doesn’t mean you don’t know anything. It means you don’t know everything. In innocence, you do not put barriers up. You take down barriers. You take down your own, and others follow you. Away from innocence, you may tend to pull down shades. In innocence, you open all the blinds and let the light in. You let in the possibility of light. Certainly, in innocence, you don’t pull down blackout shades. Certainly, in innocence, you haven’t made up your mind ahead of time.

By all means, be savvy with the computer. Be wise in the way of computers. Just don’t be so wise in the ways of the world that you keep life at bay.