Dec
28
Kids Taking the Brunt
December 28, 2007 |
It always seems that kids take the brunt of adults’ most selfish of impulses and desires. Whether it’s using kids as soldiers, sex objects, punching bags, or the means to other similar ends, too many adults throughout the world prey on defenseless kids. Too many adults treat kids as “things” instead of their fellow man.
We can also look at the high abortion rate, ugly custody and child support battles, horrible child abuse and neglect, ideological battles in our schools, child abandoment, and the pushing of the sex, drugs and alcohol lifestyle on our teens. Again, adults treating kids as “things” instead of their fellow man.
Our culture doesn’t make it easy on our kids. They are faced with ugly, adult situations way too soon in their lives. They are asked to become adults before they are ready and are often irreperably scarred in the transition.
I was musing on the above thoughts as I listened to today’s gospel describing the slaughter of the Holy Innocents. Herod wanted to remain in power. He was insecure and paranoid. When the Magi told him of the Messiah - the “King” - Herod responded with the most selfish and evil of impulses - he ordered the slaughter of every infant boy in the region. It was a senseless and barbaric act by a man who forgot (assuming he ever acknowledged) the humanity of the children he was slaughtering.
Christ instructs us to take extra, special care of children. Many of us will never be guilty of a child’s death, like Herod, but too many of us will do something that causes harm to the children in our lives.
Yet, children need all of us to be at the top of our game for them. We need to be at our best for them. We need to lift them up and suppress every impulse to hurt them - either through an overt act or through neglect.
Children are not “things”. They are the most precious of God’s people - they deserve nothing but our most Christ-like love for them.
And they most certainly should not have to take the brunt for our own failings.
