Pint-Sized Activists

This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'

(Zechariah 7:9)

One of the best parts of having an older sibling, is when you get to be an auntie before becoming a mommy. You see great ideas in action and build a tool chest for when you have your own kids! One particular thing I LOVE is the way my brother and sister-in-law have built compassion into their children's lives. As my niece grew and started asking questions about people, lifestyles, and poverty she soon learned that the world is full of need. Moved by compassion, she decided to do something about feeding the poor who live a world away. At first she was perplexed, because she didn't have a job (at age 3!)

Seedlings

 

Childhood is a time for creating magical memories, exploring everything, and taking in the world. For some though, childhood is scarred by poverty, abuse, or bullying. Kids are seedlings in this garden. Their little roots and precious leaves will absorb what nutrients and sunlight is available. The emotional and sometimes physical health of our seedlings is heavily determined by the environment that feeds them. 

I love that Jesus is an advocate for children.

"[Jesus] called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." 

(Matthew 18:2-6)

"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 19:4)

ABC News aired a story on June 17th

Dirty Dirt

"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

The above is the Biblical account of how God created the first man. God is the ultimate gardener, humanity is the ultimate garden. It puts a smile on my face to imagine the Creator of the Universe kneeling down in the Garden of Eden, and forming humanity with His bare hands, out of the dirty dirt. So often religion attempts to distance itself from anything "dirty," and presents a sparkling facade to the world. When I read the Bible, though, I see a God who is anything but distant, anything but a facade. My God "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalms 147:3). "He raises the poor from the dust" (1 Samuel 2:8) and "He will take pity on the weak and the needy" (Psalms 72:13). A God who sent His Son to bear the weight of our sin, to die like a wretched criminal so that we might be made whole. "For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

God loves to get His hands dirty, just like