“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.” Matt. 18:10

From 1854 to 1929 nearly 200,000 destitute children were transported, mostly from Boston and New York, by Orphan Trains to families across America. Mostly immigrant children who were orphaned, abandoned or neglected by their families, they would arrive at a train stop, pile off the train and line up for inspection by waiting adults who poked and prodded trying to ascertain who would bring the best value to their farm or business.  Those not chosen would pile back on the train and head for the next stop.  While many children found good homes and families, many other were exploited and abused treated as nothing more than property as indentured servants or worse.

Around the world children are still exploited and abused today, often while adults who know better look the other way.  Child abuse isn’t the only way we look down on children as adults.  Sometimes children are simply ignored or scolded by adults who are annoyed by children.  Even some churches try to keep children out of the “adult” worship services for fear they may interrupt or disrupt our adult time. I wonder what our Lord would say about that?

It’s not hard to get angry with physically abusive acts towards children and demand justice, but I wonder if we understand how seriously our Lord takes our own ways of  looking down our noses at children that may be less obvious?  Jesus’ command to not look down on one of these little ones originates from the deep wellspring of our Savior heart for the children.  Shall we do any less?

GRANDPAUSE: “We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” ~Stacia Tauscher