Jesus had a deep passion for kids. I mean, think about it. When he needed to feed 5,000 people who helped him out? A little boy with a picnic lunch with some bread and some fish. When Jesus was in the middle of something, what quickly altered his schedule, a sick child or a child that folks thought had even died? Jesus stopped and he took care of children first. That's why gospel readings like the one today are so important. Jesus teaches us yet again how valuable each child is. Think about what these gospel readings teach us. Jesus welcomes children. People bring children to Jesus hoping he'll touch them.
The disciples rebuke them and say, "Jesus is busy with the adults. He's got more important things to do." And Jesus says, "Whoa, If you want to be great, welcome a child." For a lot of folks, children are a nuisance, a distraction. But for Jesus, it's just the opposite. He welcomed children. He also warned adults not to harm children. Jesus is very clear that if you harm a child, you will face severe punishment. He says, "In fact, it would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea." He's very clear that we're called to care for children. Jesus even gives the kingdom of God to children.
He says, "Let the little children come to me. The kingdom of God belongs to them." Children are special to Jesus maybe because we have so much to learn from them, maybe because children speak the truth. I think Jesus probably likes that. Little Nancy wrote, "God, I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the world. There are only four people in my family and I can never do it." It just may be that the kingdom belongs to kids because they understand God better than we adults do. And Jesus blesses children. he takes the children in his arms, he lays his hands on them, and he blesses them.
Consider the basic facts of how you and I develop as human beings. We're made in the image of God. Your moral and spiritual development begins at age two. You begin learning right from wrong at age two. And then, you progress rapidly from there. By age nine, your moral foundation is set. By age 12, your spiritual identity is largely set. What you believe about God largely in place. In other words, at 12, the greatest predictor for who you will be morally and spiritually as an adult is set. Pretty plain, isn't it? What you create early on in the life of a child is the greatest determiner for how that child will behave as an adult. If you want to help shape the church and the world, the best thing you can do, the most important thing you can do, is provide deep, robust, spiritual experiences for children ages 2 through 12.
An 80 something Sonshine Friend shared a true story when his parish priest in Baldswinville asked him to teach religious instruction to a group of teenage boys. He was asked to prepare these young men for their Confirmation. However, he learned that these kids were on probation. He asked the boys what did they do to get in trouble with the law. The young men reported that they had robbed a store but nobody got hurt. My friend built a trust and earned their respect as he shared his faith in Jesus. He taught them that God forgives and the need to express sorrow when we hurt others. Part of their lesson was to go back to the owner of that store and apology for their offense. This group of young men on probation spent a weekend on retreat and were excited to receive Confirmation. My friend spent two years listening to them, talking to them about Jesus, laughing about their exploits and slowly helping them build a friendship with Jesus. So let me just ask you a simple question. How will you shape the faith of a child in your life?
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who model the love of Jesus for their students, children, grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Last Sunday, Spinach and I had a great opportunity to let the children know how much Jesus loves them. May we follow the example of our Lord and shape the faith of those children placed in our hands.
