A Little Child Shall Lead Them
Some time ago, I heard a story that dates back to the 1960s. A first-grader attended a newly integrated school at the height of desegregation. On the first day, her mother was quite anxious, and at the end of the day, she met her daughter at the door, “How did everything go Honey?” “Oh, mother, you know what? A little black girl sat next to me.” Mom knew this was a new experience for her child but didn’t know how to respond. Finally, she asked, “Well, what happened?” Her daughter answered, “Oh, Mommy, we were both so scared that we held hands all day.”
In an attempt to describe God’s coming redemption and healing, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
What a beautiful picture of reconciliation.
In our day and age, we have come a long way in terms of race relations. Unfortunately, at the same time, it’s all too clear we still have a long ways to go.
As it is written in the book of Galatians (3:28), “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
In the book of Revelation, John sees a glimpse of heaven. In heaven the elders and celestial beings sing a new song to the Lord:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seal because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Let us pray: We thank you, O God, for your sacrifice. Thank you for redeeming us, and including us, and calling us to be a part of your family here on earth. We thank you for the healing and reconciliation that are going on even now. We want to be a part of it, so we pray that you would continue to work your healing grace in us and through us. May we be instruments of your grace as members of your family now – and in the life come. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Joe Albright
Joe began his ministry in Sarasota, Florida as an associate pastor, and it was in this capacity that he worked alongside the Reverend Dr. Roger Kunkel. Roger was a colleague who became a mentor and treasured friend. From Sarasota, Joe was called to Jacksonville, Florida where he served as the Head of Staff at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Currently, Joe and his family worship and serve at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Switzerland, Florida. Full Bio
