Listen

“I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” Then he hugged the children and blessed them.

Mark 10:15-16

Think

“Do you do hugs?”

This summer, I visited friends that I hadn’t seen in almost two years. Maybe there are loved ones that you didn’t visit too as we sheltered in place, trying to protect community health. Ordinarily my friends and I hug to say hi. I was touched though by spontaneous versions of that question with each friend on my visit, as we asked and learned anew how to express care for each other.

In the kingdom of God, all will find protection in God’s extraordinary embrace of justice, mercy, and love. The family of God is called to create that compassionate sheltering embrace here on earth too in our communities through our everyday choices and care.

Jesus embraces the faith of children as a model here instead of the adult disciples for how to live out that kingdom of God. Since children are always learning, Jesus reminds us that we don’t have to somehow already know everything to be the outreach of God’s care. Extraordinary! We can ask and learn anew together.

Molly Logan

Pray

Loving God, help me to understand how to truly care for others today as the embrace of the family of God. Help me to be open to something out of the ordinary. How can I ask, listen, and learn today from my community in care? Amen.

Go

This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.

Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other.

1 John 4:10-11

As a beloved member of the family of God, choose to be that love to our world today.