The three boys—some of our biggest troublemakers—walked
into the front office beaming with ear to ear smiles. They were more than
eager to show us what was inside the jar with holes poked into the lid. Some of
the girls ran screaming as they proudly displayed the grasshopper they had
caught. They had named it and were already making plans for how they would care
for it. This plan included avoiding their mothers, who they knew would make
them set the little guy free.
Most children have a special fondness for animals. Kids will
often ask their parents for puppies and kitties, while parents exhaust every
excuse to avoid giving in. But there is something about the special bond many
kids on the margins of society have with the animals they encounter. The love
they have for them, and the tenderness with which they care for them, is
noticeable.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus makes a statement that is
rather disorienting and deeply mystical. He says that whatever you do to “one
of the least of these” you do to Him. What a profoundly humbling thing to
really think about! How have you treated Jesus today? I’m not sure I would like
my own answer to that question.
Somehow this notion of caring for those who are weaker, for
those who are either oppressed or their plight simply ignored, is not a
difficult one for children—especially children who find themselves in places
like Joshua Station. In fact their treatment of vulnerable creatures—like their
grasshopper friend—often puts to shame their treatment of each other! Still,
there is something welling up inside of these kids that we would do well to pay
attention to.
May we feel that love and consciousness welling up inside of
us that leads to the care for the “least of these” among us. May we love and
care for them as we would Jesus Himself, because after all, we are.
* My thoughts in this newsletter are my own and not meant to be seen as representative of Mile High Ministries.
No comments:
Post a Comment