The Photo Meditation of the Month (November, 2009): CHILDREN: A SYMBOL OF INNOCENCE

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Children: A Symbol of Innocence

A girl child from near Tuital in Bangladesh
Photo (Oct. 14, 1995) © Jerome D'Costa

Renowned Bangali poet and 1913 Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote: "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet tired of man." Children are a wonderful gift of the Creator. Children bring hope, happiness and vitality. Children are the future parents, leaders and dynamism of the society.

Children bring about smile, happiness and empathy in others by their giggling, guileless smile, playfulness and their naivete. They act as a bonding gum between parents, siblings and other people.

Children are innocents. Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, placed a special emphasis on children. He said: "See that you never despise one of these little ones. I assure you, their angels in heaven constantly behold my heavenly Father's face," (The Bible: Matthew 18: 10-12). Once, when Jesus was preaching, a number of people brought their babies to be touched by him. His disciples, however, scolded the adults and were not allowing their babies near him. When Jesus saw this, he called for the children, saying: "Let the little children come to me. Do not shut them off. The reign of God belongs to such as these. Trust me when I tell you that whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it," (The Bible: Luke 18: 15-17).

The most unfortunate and sad thing is, the innocence of uncountable number of children is robbed daily by unscrupulous people -- both men and women. These are child nappers, child traffickers, child pornographers, child abusers, child pimps and the like. Sometimes parents and close relatives are also unpardonable enemies of children.

What children receive in their childhood, always give it back to the society later in their life. If they are treated well, they will treat others well, too. If they are treated badly, they will later do the same to others.

Let's not destroy the innocence of children. Let them grow up normally with proper love, care and upbringing. They, then, will brighten the future of a family, society, country and the world.