Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14 NIV
Children
Launched in 2018, Raising Canada is an annual series of reports that track the top 10 threats to childhood. The report sheds light on the reality that one-third of kids in Canada do not enjoy a safe and healthy childhood. For more than a decade, the state of childhood in Canada has been on the decline. Canada ranks 30th out of 38 affluent nations for protecting the well-being of children, according to UNICEF – a significant drop from 12th place in 2007.
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It is natural for parents to love their children. Parents will go to great extremes to provide for their children – we see that often these days in immigrants who go to great lengths to come to a country that offers a better future for their family. So, it shouldn’t surprise us to read in the Gospels the special place that children have in the heart of Jesus. In Matthew 19:14 we read “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Children have a natural curiosity – they soak up information and constantly ask “why.” They are also very trusting – and depend on adults to care for them and look after them. This is why Jesus says the kingdom of heaven belongs to children – and adults who like children easily trust God and depend upon Him. We are each called to have the simple trust of a child when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a mature faith – we are called to grow in our knowledge of the Lord. But our faith, our trust in Jesus, must always be like that of a child.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley