Richard Dawson, 23 December 2014

A Child. I wonder what you think when you read these words? Most of us imagine a little person, full of hope, full of potential, full of innocence. Someone to be protected. Someone to be treasured and nurtured. But it wasn’t always that way. Certainly in the generation I grew up in, something of an earlier view of childhood still persisted where children were perhaps something of a necessity more than a treasure; where their position was described by that rather laconic saying dating from the 15th Century, children should be seen and not heard. And the attitude behind this is also somewhat reflective of the approach to children at the time of Jesus’ birth. Not that they weren’t valued but that they didn’t really count till they reached adult age. Till they became useful they were really little more than nuisance value in most contexts. Note, however, how the Christmas story turns this on its head for it is full of the importance, the incredible value of… a child. Yes a particular child, but my bet is that the valuing highly of this child began a sea-change in how children have been thought of throughout the Christian world. From schools for children, to orphanages, to specialist health care for pregnant mothers and children, we now highly value that which once had no standing and little value in the world. Something about a child reflects the heart of the kingdom of God for God is with children and is concerned that His people are too. That is why we must value and resource our child and youth ministries and we must work to see these grow and develop, for in them… the Christ child is come… and He will change the world.