1279: Children

It is 3:03pm.

Continuing my Lenten study of Jesus... and sharing from the book "Rediscovering Jesus" by Matthew West:

"We have come a long way, primarily because of the way Jesus' teaching transformed how we view children. When Jesus said things like, "Let the children come to me," it wasn't a cute gesture; he was turning social structures upside down. He was boldly announcing: Children are important; children matter.

When Jesus announced that we are all children of God, he threatened the social and economic structures of his time. The same teaching challenges those structures today. If we truly believed that the children starving in our own country and around the world were God's children, how would we behave differently? If we actually believed that women being persecuted and suppressed around the world were our sisters, what would we do about it? If we are all children of God, and the shoes we wear are sewn together be a child in a foreign country who should be at school, not at work, and is being payed less than it costs to simply survive, what is our moral responsibility?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a radical invitation to get beyond our own self-centered worldview and do our part to protect and liberate the most vulnerable of children of God. In doing this it is also important to remember that some of God's most vulnerable children are adults. Jesus teaches us, "Whatever you did for these least brothers of mine, you did for me." Lines like these are haunting if you really reflect on them.

The Gospels turn our social structure upside down by announcing that we are all children of God, and therefore, we are all sons and daughters of a great king. God wants us to embrace our identity in every person we encounter. It is a difficult lesson......

Do your values align with Jesus' values?"

The air feels heavy today.

 Is this all there is?

Have I officially let us all down?

I just wish it wasn't so hard.

Maybe it is me making this way....

I don't even know why I exist sometimes...

Send lots of love Elijah.

This is not your responsibility or your fault,

I just need some love.

I miss you so so much.

Always.

<3