PRAYER MOMENT  

Saturday 1 March 2014.

LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME

Pause. Be there when people bring children to Jesus

Reading: “Let the little children come to me for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs!” (Mark 10:13-16)

Reflection. I was at a concert last night and as the Chitungwiza Harmony Singers performed children came up and tried to dance with them, swinging their arms and jumping about.  It was mildly irritating but I did think of the sentiments in this passage in Mark which breaks down the boundaries between adults and children, just as Jesus was also insistent on breaking down the barriers between male and female, slave and free, Jew and gentile. Children, more than anyone, have the gift of questioning our conventions and ways of doing things and basically they ask the question, “why?” Why do you do things the way you do them? And the presupposition is there may be a better way of doing things. Unfortunately children often get suppressed and their moment of glory doesn’t last, but we should hold on to the questions of children.

Prayer. Lord Jesus, teach us what you mean by “such as these” belong to the kingdom. Help us to welcome in ourselves and others the curiosity and imagination of a child. Amen.

David Harold-Barry SJ