Care for Children

“As a church that is united on the need to care for children, we can be in mission together.”*

I’d chanag one thing in that line from our United Methodist Church Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

Capitalizing one word opens the door, expands our horizon, and reminds us of what Jesus prayed for those first disciples, and us, with these words —

I’m praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they’ll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they’ll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you’ve sent me and loved them
In the same way you’ve loved me.

— That’s from John 17:21-23.

And it’s that prayer of Lord’s which has me wanting to capitalize the first letter of one word in that UMCOR line. With this one edit, it would read, “As a Church that is united on the need to care for children, we can be in mission together.”

We can be, can’t we?

*https://www.umcmission.org/umcor/learn/news-and-stories/2019/june/a-sunday-of-solidarity-for-suffering-children