Lent 2014
March 11, 2014

 Read: Genesis 4:1-16

 The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’  

Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ – Genesis 4:6-9 

Here is an instance in the Bible when we the readers enter into the story in progress. We have little or no preparation for what led God to approve of Abel’s offering more than Cain’s. Isn’t that what life often throws at us? We may not know why things that seem to be great injustices happen to us but they do. From very early ages our response to such random acts of injustice, whether real or not, begin to shape and mold the people we become as adults. Cain’s response was to get so angry that he killed his brother Abel. 

Child development experts indicate that much of a child’s resilience and self-esteem has already developed by the time they are three years old. Parents and other family members are usually the ones who provide feedback to the child’s initial reactions that shape the child’s maturing into a self-reliant adult with a healthy self-concept, or not. Sunday school teachers, child caretakers, and pre-school teachers can make a difference also. Sometimes, even with the best of parenting, some children need professional help. Other children who may have been abused or neglected may also need such help. Early identification and referral are extremely important. Quality counselling, play therapy, and other resources must be readily available, accessible, and affordable.   

While we mourn the school shootings, teenage suicide rates, and other acts of violence occurring throughout our land, we need to work even more diligently to prevent such events from happening, starting early and never stopping. 

Prayer: God of Grace, show us how our grace can foster grace among children who do not yet know how to deal with the world about them. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.