What Are We Teaching the Children?

 What are we teaching the children?

Children have been on my mind a lot these past few days. How do we adults explain to our children the political climate in our country? How do we discuss the recent conviction of former President Donald Trump? What do we want them to know about integrity, honesty, and leadership?

The children are watching us. They are seeing how we engage in difficult conversations with each other. They are noting the language we use when talking about people we disagree with. They are studying how we treat others.

What are they learning from you?

This weekend, I am praying each sentence of the Epistle lesson for Sunday. I am letting each word reverberate in my soul:

“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;” (Romans 12:9-16b)

I invite you to sit with these words in prayer. Let God come to you as you pray. What does God want to teach you through this text? How will that inform how you live?

What will the children watching learn from you?