Silverlinings (for other editions, see Silverlinings)
Let The Little Children Come
(October
8, 2006)
Philippine Outreach Mission welcomes kids
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His two little chubby fingers walked carefully towards the plate filled with broken pieces of crisp salty crackers. Suspiciously, he slid one of his fingers leisurely around and around and around the edge of the plate. Then glancing up quickly to see if anyone was looking, he jerked a piece of cracker off the communion plate and hurriedly stuck the piece in his mouth.
The preschooler seemed to sigh contentedly as he slowly chewed the stolen piece of cracker. Licking his lips to make sure he had gotten all the salty crumbs in his mouth, he opened his eyes and noticed that the plate of crackers was now out of his reach and being passed around to others. He moved swiftly around the communion table to try to get another snack, but everyone just passed the plate on, ignoring him completely. Thinking of a new tactic, he moved outside and came in the other entrance, but no one offered him any more crackers.
I said nothing at the time. But if anyone could have read my mind, they would have known I was looking at the boy’s head for a pair of puyo—cowlicks. In the Philippines, a person with two cowlicks is said to be mischievous, stubborn, or naughty. This cute little preschooler was certainly mischievous, but I couldn’t see any cowlicks.
I wondered how long his actions would remain cute and mischievous. The outreach mission where he attended was made up of street children and disadvantaged children whose families are unable to provide for their basic needs. At an early age, the children in the area surrounding the mission outreach learn to make a living not only for themselves but also to supplement the income of the family. Many of them are forced to make the streets their home, their workplace, and their playground.
Young people below 18 years of age constitute almost half of the total population of the Philippines. A study conducted by Dr. Exaltacion E. Lamberte and commissioned by UNICEF in 2002 recorded an estimated number of almost 50,000 street or disadvantaged children.
Because of the circumstances they are in, these children and youth are faced with many problems such as homelessness, undernourishment, various illnesses, lack of education, substance and alcohol abuse, smoking, gambling, sexual abuse and exploitation, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, physical injuries due to vehicular accidents, street fights, and harassment by the police and others in the community and home.
For protection, sometimes these living conditions result in the formation of gangs and participation in petty crimes. Mischievous actions become organized and more harmful—eventually, even the innocent become involved in bigger crimes.
Young people below 18 years of age constitute almost half of the total population of the Philippines.
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There are times in life when the best learning experience is participation either by observing or direct action. The preschooler watched as the others participated in communion. He seemed to be listening to the older teens testifying of how Christ has changed their lives. Did he understand enough to want to hunger for the living bread?
The evangelist in the Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus welcoming the children, even at the protest of the disciples. Jesus turned the societal ranking of his day upside down as he proclaimed that little children and childlikeness hold a special place in the kingdom of God.
Just as Jesus welcomed the little children, street children at this missions outreach were welcomed to the Lord's Supper. Perhaps participation in worship and communion is the first step of keeping my new little friend and the others off the streets as they hear “our church can be your home.”
People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.' (Luke 18: 15-17, NRSV)
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