Rev. Richard P. Smith
Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
In this text from Mark, we find Jesus putting children front and center. Not just because they’re cute; not just because they cause us to smile and laugh; but because they can teach us. So, let me share four things which children remind us or teach us.
Children Remind Us To Have A Sense Of Wonder
I came across some time ago a quote from a noted Japanese Christian thinker and activist about his philosophy of life. Toyohiko Kagawa writes: I want to be a child forever. I want an eternal friendship for the raindrops, the flowers, the insects, the snowflakes. I want to be keenly interested in everything, with mind and muscle, ever alert, forgetting my troubles in the next moment. The stars and the sea, the ponds and the trees, the birds and the animals are my comrades. Though my muscles may stiffen, though my skin may wrinkle, may I never find myself yawning at life.
What a wonderful philosophy of life, what one might call a childlike philosophy of life! Children remind us that life and the world are to be embraced with joy, with wonder, with awe. Children don’t “yawn” at life; they experience life; they go about with hearts full of glee and wonderment.
Instead of just yawning through life; let’s catch the wonder of it all.
Children Really Do Trust God
I’ve mentioned before the name Diane Komp. She is a retired pediatric oncologist whose faith story is interesting and inspiring. She was an avowed atheist. She believed, as a physician, that science had the ultimate answers. She for many years taught at Yale University School of Medicine and practiced at Yale University Hospital. She once said that for her to have any religious belief there would have to be “reliable witnesses.” She said, “If I were to believe, it would require the testimony of reliable witnesses.”
Amazingly, she found her reliable witnesses in suffering and dying children. Remember, she was a pediatric oncologist dealing almost exclusively with children suffering from and often dying from cancer. It was their hope, their faith, their trust, their childlike connection to God that inspired her; as well as the faith and trust of the parents. She found herself inexplicably touched by God through these children. Through their lives and testimonies she became a Christian believer. Her most noted book, Windows To Heaven, recounts this journey.
The simple faith and trust in and connection with God does indeed inspire us all!
Children Teach Us To Be Continually Inquisitive
A friend whose nephew, Noah, attends a Catholic kindergarten shared with me a while back a scene with Noah and his teacher as the teacher sought to teach about Jesus as God’s Son. Here is Jim’s description of that exchange: Noah is an inquisitive, earnest child taking everything he sees or hears to heart and genuinely trying to understand it. His kindergarten teacher was explaining that Jesus was the Son of God and Noah had an immediate question. ‘You told us that Joseph was Jesus’ father.’ His teacher replied that Joseph was, indeed, Jesus’ earthly father, but that God was Jesus’ heavenly father. Noah countered, ‘You can’t have but one father, Miss Karen, everybody knows that.’ Quick on her feet, Miss Karen answered, ‘Well, Noah, that is the mystery of our faith. Miss Karen went on with her lesson, but after a minute or two, Noah raised his hand and offered this last question, ‘Miss Karen, do you think that Scooby Doo and the gang could solve this mystery of faith?
What a great story!
God wants us, I believe, to be spiritually inquisitive and to continue to ask questions. It’s a sad day if we come to the place we feel like we have the answers; that we know all there is to know about the Bible; that we feel we’re absolutely settled in our faith journey. God wants us to grow and learn and develop and mature. That won’t happen if we let ourselves stop where we are.
Children For The Most Part Build Bridges Rather Than Walls
I will never forget, I don’t think, the experience I had while pastoring in Paducah, Kentucky when I went with a group from United Way to visit a childcare center for low-income working mothers and fathers. The center was seeking funding support from United Way and I was part of the group visiting to see the work being done. As we came into the facility, I saw two toddlers, one Caucasian and one African-American, playing with one another. They were facing each other, touching each other’s hair, and just giggling, smiling, laughing. Obviously the Caucasian child had never touched the hair of an African-American child and the African-American child had never touched the hair of a white child. They were having the time of their lives it seemed to me. Those two children knew nothing about racial prejudice, racial separation; they were just two children having fun playing together.
Such moments in life remind me of the truth found in the great Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. There is a choral piece in that musical titled, You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught. It goes like this:
You’ve got to be taught, to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught, from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are ugly made
And people whose skin is a different shade.
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught, before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
Who teaches children racial division? Who teaches the children socio-economic separation? Who teaches the children religious division? Adults do. No child comes into this world believing innately in racial, religious, and socio-economic division; they learn it from us. Children aren’t inherently wall-builders; we teach them that.
Now, of course, I’m not saying that children never have selfish moments for they do; but, again, they are not by nature persons who shut others out.
