by Fr. Bill Garrison
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. ”
This quote from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter nineteen, rings in my ears loudly and often. When I see the children gathering here at St. Matthias I am glad for their presence, and Jesus expects us to take good care of them. St. Matthias offers something for all children on the Lord’s Day. The youngest children have a nursery available to them run by our very capable nursery school teacher, Victoria. Sunday school is provided for kids from 4 to 18. Our classes are divided into K through second grade, third grade through fifth, and grades six through twelve. I design the curriculum each week, which follows the lectionary and is presented in PowerPoint format. Our parents are also intimately involved in every aspect of our ministry to the kids, including many valuable extra-curricular events. For further information, please see me or Dana Medina.
Photo by JoEllen Moths from Pexels
But this is only part of the story. In each of us exists a child, the child that has never changed; the child that has been with us since each of us was young. This little girl or boy knows God in a way that the adult can never know God. This little child can’t wait to talk with God, spend time with God, play with God, laugh with God, and this little person trusts in God in a complete and innocent way that an adult cannot.
I have mentioned before, and will again, how much God loves us and how God sees us. God sees the child within us all and God loves us as if we were still that little innocent.
I remember when I was small how excited I was when my father arrived home from work. I would run to him knowing I could share my day with him, all of my day, and I knew for sure how much he loved me. I would run and jump into his arms, never once concerned that he would drop me or reject me.
God will never drop us either when we run to him as a child would run to his father. So as we think about the care of our children, please remember the child that exists within us all. We are invited to reintroduce that little him or her to God, and then let’s all run and jump into the arms of God and feel the incredible love God has for each of us.