Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Grand Rapids, Michigan
“One trip through a children’s ward and if your faith isn’t shaken,
you’re not the type who deserves any faith”
Peter De Vries (1959)
The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
Mark 10: 13-16 (MSG)
There are few challenges that test our faith as severely as sudden and serious illness in our children! Peter DeVries identified our dilemma in his novel Blood of the Lamb.(1961) What we pray for is that our children will be spared illness and suffering!
Like the disciples, we miss seeing God’s kingdom. We miss seeing the preparation and discipline of the many healing agents who have been called to be present in the emergencies. We miss seeing God’s healing community. We miss believing that we are all children of God.
What I have come to believe is that despite our anger and terror, God has been and is present in all the storms of life and he particularly cares for children! Thanks be to God for his grace and blessing.
Poppy
References:
De Vries, P.. (2005). The Blood of the Lamb: A Novel (New edition ed.). University Of Chicago Press. See foreword by Jeffrey Frank
Hage, J (2010) “The God that Weeps” Sermon delivered at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church on 7/11/2010
Hage, M. L. (2012). God’s Grace.
Hage, M. L. (2015). Healing Grandparents.
