“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them.
—Mark 10.14
The little one in the refugee camp.
Let them come.
The one in church, squirming.
The one having a tantrum:
that one, too, is holy.
Why is it hard for you
to let the snotty kid
be in line in front of you?
What are you thinking?
Le them come
to the Christ in your heart,
the child playing, pure of joy
and full of beauty.
The child wondering, asking,
gazing without opinion.
The one crying, feeling deeply,
profoundly present.
The child within you,
seeking, coming home,
the child just now waking,
the child in you who is small,
who is awkward and unsure,
wounded, yearning,
with open arms—
child, come
and be blessed.
There is only one child.
Let them come.
—October 2, 2018