To Become Like a Child (Mark 10:13-16)

A group of children are brought to Jesus so that he would bless them.  Unfortunately, the disciples rebuked the adults who had brought them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant and he said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” In trying times such as these it is easy for us to be like the disciples and dismiss Jesus’ invitation to become like children. But it’s actually children that have so much to teach us about how we respond to this particular moment. Children invite us to forgive, to live with unconscious dependence, to experience wonder and awe, to live in the present, to be brave, to play and laugh and delight, to be more generous with our affection, to be curious, to become like a child. Are there things that brought you joy as a child that may be instructive to what God is inviting you to do here and now? May we leave our children a world that is a little more like the kingdom of God.