Juxtapositions and caring for our kids
I love that word. It suggests holding two things side-by-side and in ministry it often means holding two things which seem contrary, even contradictory, side-by-side. On the one hand, look at the wonderful Sunday morning we had a First Church in the celebration of our Vacation Bible School. We had over 300 kids and over 100 volunteers involved in a wonderful week of helping our kids learn to "Trust God". Sunday morning the families packed the CLC to celebrate the week in our "SHINE" worship hour. What a great day in the life of a church that makes a huge commitment to ministry with children.
Juxtapose that with the announcement of a verdict in the Jerry Sandusky trial. What a tragic moment, what a dark and sad time--to realize that someone who had been entrusted with the care of children could behave in such a dreadful way. I keep trying to put myself in the place of the Sandusky's pastor at St. Paul UMC in State College, Pa. What can you say, except to feel the tragedy and the weight of the whole dreadful situation and the importance of the protection and care of our children.
Then last week I was in Shain Park for the Community Coalition Battle of the Bands when we recognized the tragic loss of a youth in our community to the K-2 synthetic drug issue. To see our community come together in a common concern about caring for our youth and the banning of synthetic drugs was a moment to celebrate...only to be followed by the report of gun-toting demonstrators who feel it is right to carry weapons in public places. Unfortunately it may be legal in Michigan, but it is stupid, dangerous and unnecessary to carry concealed or unconcealed weapons in Shain Park or anywhere else where our children's lives are at stake.
So I juxtapose these images and raise up the commitment of this church and this community to the nurture and care of our children; to do what we can to protect our children from sexual predators, from drugs of all kinds and from the flood of weapons in our streets and cities. Caring for our children begins with programs like Vacation Bible School, Club 42 and Friday Night Lights, but it can't end there. The larger concern involves the commitment to doing those things that will help provide a safe environment for our children to grow and thrive, realizing that all of our children are all of our children.
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