In the passage from the Gospel according to Matthew that will be read at tomorrow’s liturgy, Jesus praises the humility of children (18:1-5,10,12-14). Children are real, and unless they are taught otherwise, are true to their identity which includes exhibiting their real feelings, desires, talents, and personalities.
Social media and other digital sources of information can be very suggestive. They can present dangers to children’s positive growth, especially spiritual growth. Just think of the changes even in commercials we watch on television. Subtle, unspoken messages are presented, and virtues like modesty, self-respect, generosity, and selflessness are not encouraged.
We adults are challenged to become like children. Besides that, nowadays we especially have to be examples of love and attention to others. We cannot assume that children will know and imitate loving behavior. Children and adults alike can easily get caught up in the fast tempo of life. We can all get so busy that time and eye contact with others are very fleeting. It is difficult to imagine Jesus sitting with children around him while he concentrates on His cell phone messages. Yes, there are prayers and religious articles on the internet, but the humble openness of children is something that is fostered and nurtured by direct, in-person, human interaction. Smiles and hugs cannot be transmitted by computers.
It might be a good idea to get together occasionally with a few people, including children, and pray Psalm 131:
O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.
Of course, we might want to make the psalm a little more understandable for little children and rewrite it a bit:
O Lord, my heart is a human heart
and I know you are God.
I want to give you my time and love
so I can use my brains, heart, and energy to love you each day.
I will pay attention, Lord,
so I can learn more and teach others about you.
O friends and family, hope in the Lord,
both now and always!
🙏
Photograph by Ben White on Unsplash.
The psalm is from the New American Bible , Oxford University Press, New York. 1990
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.