Читать книгу Beyond the Horizon - Harry A. Renfree - Страница 7

January 01

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) was an American poet and staunch advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. One of his poems, called “Child Songs,” has the message about learning from children and the importance of a childlike heart.

A couple of the verses are as follows:

We need love’s tender lessons taught

As only weakness can;

God hath his small interpreters;

The child must teach the man.

Alone to guileness and love—

That gate shall open fall;

The mind of pride is nothingness

The childlike heart is all!1

We do not really know what the New Year will bring, but we can proceed by our faith. The Psalmist was musing about some of these things and out of his musings came one of the most magnificent Psalms in the Psalter that of Psalm 8: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” Then this: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise” (Psalm 8:1–2a).

Jesus Himself was similarly musing one day during His sojourn on earth. In a prayer, He said to His Father: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25).

The season through which we have just been passing is about a child—the Child. It’s primarily for children—young children, as well as for those who, with childlike faith, worship at the manger and then put their hand into the hand of God and move confidently into the New Year.