Midweek Meditation: The Heart of a Child

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 

'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'

He called a child, whom He put among them and said,

'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  

Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest

in the kingdom of heaven. 

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name 

welcomes me....

Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones;

for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see

the face of my Father in heaven.'"

Matthew 18: 1-5, 10

      This past week, I saw the faces of the children whose parent(s) were taken away from their homes and their lives by the employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  And I can't get the image of those innocent, young, sobbing children out of my mind.  

If I can't erase that image, what must it be like for God to have to watch?  Just the very words that Jesus chose to use to speak about children, it shows how much God values and loves us, as we were created to be!  What happens to the humble innocence of the children that Jesus points out in the scripture reading above?  Aren't the children of the world today the same as they were in the time that Jesus walked among us - innocent and humble?  And if not - why don't we protect our children's innocence more closely?  Why is it okay for children to constantly be humbled by those who have the greater power - whether that be at the hands of someone in their home, in their town, or in the world?  Why is it okay for children to know far more about violence and separation than their grandparents knew at that age?  How can we "change and become like children" again so that entrance into the heavenly kingdom is as Jesus promised?  How can we become like children again, when it appears that the world has forgotten what it's like to be a child? 

Pray for the children of the world the rest of this week.  Pray too for the child that still lives within each of us that this child can be found again and allowed to come forth in a new way. Pray not to ask the question of how I can be the greatest in heaven but how to serve the least of these on earth.   💙