Children we love and abuse

I landed in Bangalore India this weekend in the midst of a festival weekend. As well as the local Hindu festival, Muslims were celebrating the end of Ramadan and Christians were using the long holiday weekend as an opportunity to celebrate 'Children's Day' in many of their churches. Within hours of landing I found myself in an impressive, growing, independent church preaching on the place of the child in mission.

India is full of people, and even more so full of children - literally hundreds of millions of them. The children who sat in front of me in church had adoring parents who, in good Indian fashion, are prepared to sacrifice much to see their children well educated and prepared for life, but as I spoke I was just as conscious of the children we had passed on the road side begging for food and those I had not seen whose bodies are abused for the gratification of adult lust. Children are vulnerable but they are also strong and have much to teach us about discipleship - open, trusting, humble and deep. I look forward to being inspired by the lives of other Indian children this coming week as I spend more time in this challenging but hopful country.