The Faces of Innocence

She wrote: "I must share with you what my granddaughter said the other day. Apparently they had been learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. in school and how black people had to ride in the back of the bus years ago. And she asked me, 'What are white people?' The innocence of that question took my breath away. It is surprising in a child of the television age, especially since for two years she has been playing with a little black boy who lives two doors from me. To her he is just another kid. I suppose all children are like this until society teaches them different."

This story reminded me of the song from "South Pacific" with the line that to learn to hate, "They have to be carefully taught." On the same subject, Jesus in Matthew 18:1-6 used the innocence of children to teach his disciples a lesson: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Usually, we think in terms of teaching our children lessons. If we but listen to them, they have much to teach us. Let us follow Jesus' teaching and become as little children. Of course we are to grow and learn and mature. Jesus did not mean for us to become childish, but to become childlike in love and humility.