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by Rev. Fr. V.V. Paulose, Toronto, Canada
“Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, you have prepared praise.” (Mathew 21:16)
Can children be the future activists and
ambassadors of Christian values?
We should not underestimate the potentialities and inner spirit and the strength
of children. They could be the frontrunners of social activists for Christian
values and principles. They may be the voice of Jesus. So training them in the
path of Jesus is the onerous moral responsibility of a family. “Train up a child
in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it”
(Proverbs 22:6).
The explosion of knowledge and zooming of social medias on the wrong aspects of
life is a curse on the forehead of the modern society. Everything is for
business. Children are the most sought after and prized possessions, but the
innocent children are in the wheel of child labor and are treated as sex
objects. So their innocence is lost and their personality becomes different. "So
it is not the will of my father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish” (Mathew 18:14). “Let the children come to me and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Mathew 19 :14).
Craig kielburger was born on December, 1982 in Canada as the youngest child,
whose parents were both teachers, who believed that people should work hard and
take care of one another. They taught these beliefs to their children. Craig’s
life changed one morning when he was 12 years old. He read the story of Iqbal
Masih from Pakistan. He was from a poor family. So the parents sold Iqbal to a
carpet maker when he was 4 years old. The young boy worked in the factory 12
hours a day for 6 days a week. When he was 10 years old, he escaped slavery. He
became an activist for children’s rights. He went to other countries and told
people about child labor. When Iqbal was 12, he was murdered. This changed
Craig’s life forever. He wanted to help. He formed a group to work on this issue
of child labor. Many of his classmates signed up. They called themselves FREE
THE CHILDREN (FTC). They planned and worked well to free the children from abuse
and slavery. Craig has travelled to more than 40 countries for the cause of the
children. The organization has built more than 440 schools in 21 countries. It
also provides clean water and health supplies to children in some poor
courtiers. Now, his name has been recommended for Nobel prize.
“Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign” (2 Chronicles 34:13). “Fathers,
do not make your children angry, but raise them with training and teaching of
the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). We, the grown-ups should be an example to be an
activist for Christ.
Jesus, let all the children be free from child abuse and crime. Let the social medias be activists for the cause of good for the children and close all the doors of abuse, crime and temptation. Let parents bring their children in a healthy atmosphere of freedom, discipline, courage, and responsibility. We pray for the soul of Iqbal and Craig for their heroic stand for the cause of children. Let more Iqbals and Craigs sprout from this barren land of abuse and crime. All we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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