Mark 10:14 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
As I looked over the peaches in the fruit and vegetable isle at my local grocery store, he approached me. He appeared to be around 10, maybe 12 years-old. “Mam, could you please give me a dollar? I need it for the check-out.” I guess a part of me didn’t want to be included in a skeptical world, so I followed my inclination and got out my wallet.
But as I pulled out the dollar bill, I asked, “Is this really legit?” Of course he assured me it was as he thanked me and took off with the money. Immediately, another young boy came running by. I saw him catch up with the first boy and together they ran out the back exit.
I’d been played.
It bothered me. Not so much losing the dollar or being suckered, but I hated the idea of contributing to his deceptive success. How does a young kid learn to be so bold and brazen? I couldn’t help but wonder what he told himself in order to justify his behavior. And I thought, when was his innocence stolen?
And when was the innocence stolen of the little girls exploited in Netflix’s recent release of Cuties? Although dubbed a “coming of age” film, the movie depicts highly sexualized 11-year-olds participating in a “twerking” contest. The IMBD warns parents of erotic dance scenes including one where a girl fully displays her bare breast. The law has a word for that: pedophilia. Yet Netflix prospers from parents willing to trade their children’s virtue for…what?
Jesus loves children. He had pretty harsh words for people who lead them astray. In fact all three synoptic gospels record his warning (Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:2; Mark 9:42). But without a clear moral grounding, children will go astray. They’ll think it’s ok to do whatever they can get away with, whether stealing from old ladies in the grocery store or prancing half-naked in front of peering eyes.
If there are children in your life, why not take every opportunity to tell them about a God who loves them. It may not seem like much, but let’s do all we can to keep their innocence from being stolen.