Daily Devotion - Thursday, December 10

Children of the World 2

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
and he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
--A voice of a prophet

The prophet realized that we develop many names for the child that is born. Likewise, we bring many names to this season of the year and each of those names is sacred.

One of the insights the prophet is telling us is that the very essence of God enters into our midst as a child. Sixty-three years ago (December 11, 1946) the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, was founded by people around the world. Children are so important. Today, I want to share the second segment of Marian Wright Edelman’s prayer for children. The words can help to keep us focused on the realities of this season:

“O God of the child prodigy and the child prostitute,
Of the child of rapture and the child of rape,
Of runaway or thrown-away children who struggle
Every day without parent or place or friend or future,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

“O God of children who can walk and talk and hear
And see and sing and dance and jump and
Play and of children who wish they could
But can’t
Of children who are loved and unloved, wanted and unwanted,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.”

The prayer will conclude tomorrow. Have a meaningful day.
--Ben Keckler
12.10.09