Before he told raging waters to be still, before he fed 5,000, before the blind saw and the lame walked, before there were prostitutes, tax collectors and fishermen, before the nails and the whips and the thorns, before all of this, he was a baby, he was a child.
What is he thinking about when he looks at the babies and children of the world today? Does he remember what it was like to be hungry, naked, tired, afraid?
What would he think of their toys and games, the sleep training books, the swaddling debates and pacifiers? What would he think about their hunger, emaciated limbs and distended bellies? What would he think about their attitudes and tantrums? What would he think about their labor and slavery?
Come to me, all of you, Jesus would say, just as he said 2,000 years ago, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
When fear rises in a little boy’s heart in the DRC as he hears the sounds of death and guns and bombs, Jesus remembers running with his parents to hide for his life.
When there is no food to eat again and tiny tummies quake with hunger in Somalia, Jesus remembers 40 days without food and water.
When a child in Gaza prays in the night for peace, Jesus remembers being far from his true home, alone in a cold, hostile, violent world.
When little girls in Cambodia are beaten and exploited, Jesus remembers the sting of the lash and the nail driven through his wrist and the betrayal of his friends.
He didn’t have evergreens, and there was no bunting of glass balls around the manger. Yes, he knew the safety and security of his mother’s embrace, but he didn’t know – or maybe he did, please no theological debates – that they were in a stable, stinky, dirty, dark and unhygienic in every way. He didn’t know that his parents had very little financial provision, he didn’t know that someone was going to try and end his life before it had barely even begun and that his first two years would be spent on the run.
He was a baby. He was a child. And he knows what it was like to have nothing and to be in danger, and when the chorus of cries from exploited, abused, neglected and unwanted children rise to heaven, he collects them all because he knows.
This Advent season, we are letting our cry from this corner of Switzerland join with theirs. As a family for the next 24 days, we will have a different country to briefly look at daily and take a few minutes each day to pray for the needs of its children. Because he was a baby, too. He was once a child, and this year this is how we prepare our hearts for the coming of the perfect Messiah who remembers all of our weaknesses and knows all of our pain and came to bring life to everyone who would receive him.
Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free. From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
9 thoughts on “a baby, a child”
Oh, Devi. This is beautiful and now my few minutes to sit while both kids are napping has become a weepy few minutes. What a wonderful idea. I know we’re a few days in, but I think I’m going to have to do this for our fam, perhaps adding in the babies who are waiting to be adopted by families we know. Thank you for helping me set my mind on things above.
No worries, Stef.. I don’t think it’s ever too late :). I’ve been amazed at how J seems to understand what we’re doing as well.
Devi, Thank you for sharing this. Are you using a specific tool/resource to pray through the children and the countries?
Laura, we use the Operation World book – I find that it is such a comprehensive resource, so many details.. I went to the Compassion site to find the children for the Advent calendar, and for the countries where no sponsorship programs exist, I just went to google images and typed in “Afghan children” etc.
What a beautiful post and a unique and inspiring idea for Advent! Have a joy-filled Christmas!
Thank you :).