Baby Army

A number of years ago, John started talking about a “baby army.” It was literally that: an army of babies who would come and get the people who are mean to children. I think about this baby army quite a bit, wishing there was such a thing. And I think about it because I don’t think John or Joe know anything about abortion. And I wonder also how I will ever tell them that they should have an 18 yr old sibling, but I and the mother opted for death.

It also takes me back to my preoccupation with “children’s culture;” the games, the language, the stories—all the things children would come up with. Another way of thinking about it is to wonder how it is that adults tell children what to play, what to read, what to laugh at? That is, adults make the shows, write the books, etc.

What would children come up with by themselves? Can we learn to laugh with them?

I guess what has me thinking more about that is devotions last night. Jessie was reading from a book that was written as a family devotional, and it came to one of John and Joe’s favorite stories, Moses being placed in the Nile by his mother. They had a whole lot of comments about this, some of them coming from the Prince of Egypt, but lots of it coming from their recollection of the biblical story.

It raises the question for me: what is the most important part of the Exodus story? Is it the Passover? The creation of the worship space for the Israelites? Or is it baby Moses? Can we say that the story of a child, about a child, has importance only insofar as it leads to the story of that child as an adult, where the action really is?

I suppose that if we take inspiration seriously, we have to say that since it’s Scripture it’s vitally important. And if there is a preferential option for the poor, it is for children.

But we’re back to the age-old story: how do you devote a church to the poor, when the poor can’t pay the bills? When children can’t “contribute” in the ways that adults have structured leadership. We demand, finally, that children adapt to our culture. And until they can/do, they can be ministered to, but not with, and never from (it’s hard enough to get this done with adults…)

Luckily, the Rock is a place that more than puts its money where its mouth is. And we are starting to see on Monday nights, many more hands showing up to love. The trick will be to help people see that working with the poor is not cool or hip, or even energizing. I think as long as we think it is, we will be looking to work in cool places-- with adults, addicts, the homeless. All places that need serious ministry.

But let us not neglect the children. Let us not pass them off to such a specialized category of children's ministry that we don't just show up in their lives, too.