Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me
"Suffer the little children to come unto me.” One of the qualities I most admire in others (and strive for myself) is the ability to see something awkward, unlearned, or undeveloped in another person–and then to have the immediate instinct to love that person with a pure love, look past whatever might be imperfect, and let that person come close to learn, develop, and just be blessed. This quality is strongly evident in the following two-verse biblical story: “And they brought young children to [Jesus], that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:13-14). I greatly admire how Christ’s immediate reaction (different from the initial response of his disciples in this case) was not to worry about how spending time with children might tarnish his reputation–what other people thi...