Dec 23 2008
On What Every Child Deserves
In every child who is born under no matter what circumstances and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again, and in him, too, once more, and each of us, our terrific responsibility toward human life: toward the utmost idea of goodness, of the horror of terrorism, and of God.
– James Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
As we approach Christmas, with Christmas Eve only a day away, we consider Agee’s thought on the value and potential of each and every child. Agee talks about each child born, but I like to think this is true of each child ever conceived; that the rest of the human race has a vested interest in this child.
Society depends upon the new life of each child, a responsibility to see this child through to maturity, a process that lasts from the moment of conception until the moment of our natural death.
We owe these children, all children, the freedom from fear, we must teach them about goodness, and yes, we must teach them about God.
Children are born with only two natural fears — fear of loud noises and fear of falling. All of the others are fears that are developed as the child experiences life, day after day. In a perfect world, the two innate fears would be put to rest, and no other fears develop. A child should have no fear of people, of war or harm.
Can each of us as individuals make a difference in the lives of these chldren? Yes, we can give them hope for that is what sums up the three things mentioned by Agee goodness, freedom from terror, and God.
Hi Ann,
A quick thought.
Children are also born with a conscience that is written on the heart, so that when anyone sins, they do it with full knowledge of wrong doing. It’s that sin that brought death into the world in the first place (Romans 5:12), the curse placed on mankind that separates us from eternal life with God.
What’s wonderful about God’s mercy is that we can escape death by the sacrifice offered on the cross, the attoning blood of Christ. The moment one does this (repentance and acceptance) they pass from the clutchs of a spiritual death to the comfort of eternal life through Jesus Christ. We pass from darkness to light.
“God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8,9)
What’s even more important than freedom from terror is freedom from death. And when one is truly free from death, terror has no claim on fear. It’s this freedom from the fear of death that causes non Christians to marvel at a Marytr willing to lay down his or her life for their faith in Christ. It’s that kind of sacrifice that changes lives. The kind that causes non Christians to long for that kind of freedom from their own fears of death.
“The church has been and always will be persecuted. Everyone watches us. If we die in faith, hope and love, it can change the history of nations. If we fail to stand in love and hope for our faith, nations often can reject Christ.”- From a missionary woh works in China and North Korea
Paul <