Living in the Spirit
October 4, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:2-16

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. –Mark 10:13-16

My church operates a child care center. One morning as I was walking from the parking lot to the building, I strolled beside a young father with his, I would guess, about three year old son. We shared greetings and observations about the weather as we walked. The closer we got to the door and out of the parking lot, the more excited the son was to get to school and his dad dropped his hand so he could ran ahead to the door, which he could not have opened on his own as he was neither tall enough to reach the door handle nor strong enough to pull it open. His dad opened the door while saying, “Hold up Bud, we need to let the lady go first.” The little guy stopped as if on a dime, placed his little hands on the bottom of the door doing his part in holding it open, and smiled broadly at me as I thanked him. He was being taught by a gracious father how to be a gracious man.

Children take in information like a sponge in those first formative years. Much of that is what parents and others model for them through their own ways of being. Such a relationship involves total naive trust like children have for their parents and that trust is what Jesus is saying we need to transition to a Kingdom ruled by God.

It is scary to think about trusting God’s message through Christ that we are to live our lives ruled by love when we live in a world where mass shooting are becoming common place, where terrorist are deemed to be behind every bush, and where our worth seems to be established more on what we possess then who we are. But trusting and living God’s message of love is the only way we will find shalom, the peace of God, for which we all long.

Prayer: Lord, grant us your peace, free us from the fears that box our love into small containers shared only when we feel safe by helping us comprehend more completely that ultimate safety lies in your arms of love. 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.