A Bible verse I worry about is James 4:17: "So
then, the person who does not do the good he knows he should do is guilty of sin"
(TEV).
This verse, of course, teaches that we can be sinners by doing nothing. I am a
sinful man, O Lord! Can children help us avoid such sin? Here is a child who can
be a model for us.
Here is a child who can be a model for us: My nephew Bill ran up to his cousin Erin (whom he doesn't see very often) and hugged and kissed her on the cheek saying, "I missed you, Erin!" He taught me that as adults we sometimes don't say what we are feeling.
The important lesson here is not that adults say something other than what they are feeling, but rather that they may omit entirely expressing real feelings of affection. Is such an omission a sin? Think of the number of persons who are leading shackled, fearful lives (afraid of being abandoned) because the significant persons around them fail to communicate their love. Little children often take the initiative in expressing love:
A teacher shared this incident about another child: When I came to school feeling unhappy about my life after an argument at home, a little girl came up to me and said,
"You look nice, I love you." That taught me how much we need to give and receive love and appreciation.