Other People's Children: No Such Thing

Raising children can sometimes seem like a dog-eat-dog world of competition and isolation. We are often so focused on the myriad tasks at hand that we can lose sight of the larger community around us, both in terms of other children but also resources that help connect us to community as parents. Jesus didn’t have children “of his own.” He blessed other peoples’ children – and not just the high-achieving ones! - and said they would inherit the kingdom of God.

It’s a gift and a joy to discover a different culture of child-rearing – and of life support for adults too! That’s a culture where we care for one another deeply, recognizing we all belong to each other. As the popular quote summarizes, “there is no such thing as other people’s children.”

In this message we celebrate the culture that the Westwood Early Childhood Center has embodied for 40 years. And it’s part of all of our vocation as Lutheran Christians. We care about the well-being not only of our own kin, but of all God’s children, anywhere in the world. 

This message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah, and our scripture is from the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 6.  The Gospel is from Mark, Chapter 10.