“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 19:13-14
One of the most well-known songs in the church is the hymn, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” This wonderful little song has been sung by countless people in churches around the world. It is taught to our children at an early age. It is often heard on the occasions of baptisms and Vacation Bible School. The familiar first verse goes like this:
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
This song has been part of the music of the church since shortly after the Civil War. The song, as we know it, was originally a tune named, “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp.” This was a tune written for Union soldiers during that terrible conflict. Shortly after the war, the popular song’s lyrics were changed, through a collaboration with the original writer George Root, and his pastor and friend, Clare Woodson. These were challenging words, in a time when our country was struggling with great racial tension.
This week we marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His death was 103 years after the end of the Civil War. Although great battles have been fought over slavery, legislation has been passed to end segregation, we still see that the words of “Jesus Loves the Little Children” are still not fully lived out in our lives.
The example of love that Jesus set for his disciples is challenging. We are called to look beyond our differences and see that God is the creator of the world. Each person is a child of God. We must continue to ask ourselves, do we see how “precious” the people around us truly are? We must ask ourselves, do we treat others as Christ would treat them? Do we love our neighbors as we would have them love us? When we see each other as God sees us, when we treat each other as Christ treated the little children, I believe we will be living out the greatest value of the kingdom of heaven.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
