“Then some children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'”
—Matthew 19:14
I love looking into the faces of children. For me, so much of what is holy comes through their eyes. On this day, I await the birth of my second grandchild, due to arrive in hours in the midst of a terrible storm here in Philadelphia. Awaiting a tiny new life, even in the midst of the snow, the ice, and the destructive winds.
Below I have shared two photos that hang in the office where I see children who have gone through different forms of trauma. One, a greeting card sent to me, a photo of innocence and trust; the other, a photo taken by a student I supervised who did some medical work in Ghana. A photo of hope and joy.
In each of the photos, you can see the flash from my own camera, shining by the children. I like to think of that flash as a burst of light from the spirit of God shining through these beautiful faces.
Today, I invite you to look for the God-light in the faces of children you might meet.
Share your photos or your stories with one another. Or hold the light of these children in places that might especially need some brightening.
And together we pray…
in thanksgiving for children, O God
and the many gifts they bring into our lives.
Teach us to lead them, to guide them,
and to love them as they are to be loved.
Help us to learn from these young lives
how to be close to you,
to trust
to hope
and to see with new eyes
a world of new possibility.
We ask these things
in the name of the One who
drew the children unto him.
Amen.
