Living in the Spirit
June 11, 2014
Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them? –Psalm 8:1-4
I take great hope in the next generation coming forth. They are labeled the “millennials” the first to be born in the 21st century. I heard on the news yesterday about a 14 year old boy who carried his seven year old brother, stricken with Cerebral Palsy, 40 miles on his back to raise awareness of the needs of children with disabilities. Another brother did something similar here in Oklahoma City when he ran in a race pushing his brother in a specially designed bike that allowed the brother to know the thrill of running.
Sunday we had a fun, family day at the church where I staffed the ring toss game. We had arranged two liter bottles of soda as the targets and anyone who was able to toss one of the rings around a bottle got the soda as a prize. Several children enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to toss the rings. They took turns and shared rings with others who had a preference for a particular colored ring. Most of the children under the age of six thanked me but said they didn’t drink soda and thus didn’t want the prize. I heard a teenager refer to it as bottled diabetes. One sat her two bottles down after I had handed them to her and left them. I think she did that because her friend didn’t win one—out of the mouths of babes indeed.
These small ones have learned the art of loving themselves by taking proper care of themselves without any rancor or self-righteousness. They have also, it seems, learned the art of loving their neighbors as they love themselves. Now if we adults could just learn that from the children.
I am investing in a wooden form of the ring toss game. I don’t think we are going to need prizes. It is just fun to do and these children get that.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, flow through our world and return to us the wonder and wisdom of children. Amen.
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.
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.