Finding Hope in Our Children

When Peter and I visited Vietnam four years ago, the children reached out eagerly, oblivious of the war that so divided our countries a quarter-century before. They giggled at Peter's language ability and touched my hair in curiosity, shy and bold at the same time. It was a reminder of the gifts that children everywhere bring to the human community -- faith, openness and trust -- if the adults around them have been loving. And the children bore witness to that.

Today in the U.S., the Millennium Generation (children under 18) tops the Baby Boom peak in 1966 at 70 million, but the percentage of children in the population is lower by 10% because there are more older people too. One-third of the Millennium Generation lives with only one parent and many have lived through job disruptions from business down-sizing. Already battles over scarce tax dollars are heating up between over-crowded classrooms and health-care services for seniors. Churches must compete with other Sunday morning activities for teaching the life and values of Jesus. 

Jesus loved children and spoke of them as signs of God's realm. In the Roman world, life was brutish and short for most people. Children were just mouths to be fed and small hands for work. They were expendable. Jesus shocked the adults around him when he welcomed children warmly and treated them with respect. His liberating and inclusive message for the poor, the outcast and the prisoner was also meant for women and children. From the social hierarchy that separated people in caste and class, Jesus invited all kinds of people, including children, to God's banquet table. 

We are offering a new book, The Blessing Seed, which retells the creation story for children (and adults) in a way that reflects Jesus' emphasis on care for one-another.

Yancy McLeod's program for environmental awareness in Columbia SC gives us a glimpse of how education in nature can guide children toward justice issues. John Morris writes about Communities-in-Schools, a nation-wide effort to provide the basic structure of community for at-risk children who don't have supportive adults around them. Amy Brennan writes of Service-Over-Self, a teen volunteer program, and other writers pick up the theme. Our regular writers feature the theme of "finding hope in our children" with questions for group use or individual reflection.

Many churches are finding that mission trips offer a unique opportunity to expose older children to the global application of Jesus' teachings. We have included a story by April Sizemore-Barber's about South Africa, current results of a long-ago mission assignment in Angola for Marcia Gleckler and Dana Smith offers the tale of a Bosnian refugee child. Photographs by Margie Nea thread through this issue with portraits of children around the world.

Lastly, I want to let all of you know that I am feeling called to a new relationship with Faith@Work --- to edit the magazine and provide some event leadership. A Search Committee will be looking for someone who will team with Bill Johnson here in the office to run the ministry by next spring. If you know someone who might be called and gifted for leading Faith@Work into the future, please contact our office for an application packet.

In order to make this transition possible, we also need your support for the CHANGE LIVES campaign (read our story) to expand the endowment which makes the magazine available without ads. If you can make a one-time gift, this is the time to do it!

Marjory Bankson is president of Faith at Work and is a Steward of The Seekers Church, a faith community of Church of the Saviour in Washington DC.