{"id":6313,"date":"2024-03-27T20:31:45","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T20:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learn.elca.org\/jle\/?p=6313"},"modified":"2024-03-27T21:52:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T21:52:29","slug":"lutheran-foundations-for-promoting-child-well-being-and-addressing-child-maltreatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learn.elca.org\/jle\/lutheran-foundations-for-promoting-child-well-being-and-addressing-child-maltreatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Lutheran Foundations for Promoting Child Well-being and Addressing Child Maltreatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

[1] Children and young people today face a host of ongoing and newly emerging challenges.[1]<\/a> In countries rich and poor, many experience poverty, malnutrition, maltreatment, abuse, and a lack of adequate education and health care. Children and families struggle to meet even their basic needs under difficult circumstances when they are fleeing political unrest or facing environmental disasters. In addition to these ongoing challenges, new ways of exploiting children through social media and corporate marketing contribute to global increases in childhood depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-destructive behaviors.<\/p>\n

[2] The Lutheran church worldwide has a long history of attending to children\u2019s needs and a robust theological understanding of children and commitments to them. Martin Luther was one of the first Western theologians to have children. He and his wife, Katharina von Bora, raised ten children, and he wrote movingly about the sacred task of parents, and the responsibilities of educating children and raising them in the faith. Luther also articulated a robust theology of vocation, including the vocations of parents and children. Furthermore, Luther and the early Reformers were strong advocates for protecting and educating all children. Over the past 500 years, Lutherans around the world have been strongly committed to children in a variety of ways, especially in the areas of education, faith formation, and child advocacy. Various Lutheran educational institutions, medical facilities, and social service and relief agencies worldwide address the needs of children and the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

[3] Although Lutherans have a strong tradition of commitments to children, Lutheran individuals and institutions have at times neglected to build on their strong theological foundations and respect the full humanity of children. Children make up one-third of humanity and are members of families, neighborhoods, and faith communities. They are also among the most vulnerable people on the planet, and adults can easily disregard their needs and strengths. Lutherans care for children in a host of ways. However, if we take a closer look at almost any area of the church\u2014whether its faith formation programs, justice initiatives, or theological institutions, then we find multiple ways that the church has neglected to listen carefully to the voices and questions of children, pay close attention to the specific ways they are suffering and exploited, or recognize their wisdom and creative contributions.<\/p>\n

[5] Whenever our conceptions of children are too narrow, our child-related efforts are less effective, our relations with children are less meaningful, and our doctrines and practices are less inclusive and life-giving. In the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA), for example, we see how narrow views of children can stunt the ELCA\u2019s commitments to children and even its theology and practice. For example, although the ELCA seeks to mitigate child maltreatment, congregations do not yet have in place strong child protection policies for preventing and responding to child abuse inside the church, let alone in the home, where it most often occurs. Furthermore, although ELCA congregations offer faith formation programs for children, many do not adequately engage parents, caregivers, and children or take seriously the questions, ideas, and contributions of children themselves. As a result, as multiple studies show, many young people end up feeling lonely or lost and eventually join the growing ranks of the \u201cnones\u201d or non-affiliated. Finally, although Lutherans in the ELCA and around the world address serious ethical issues and have articulated powerful and liberating theologies that help the church revise its doctrines and practices in the light of the marginalized and those who suffer, many Lutheran theologians and ethicists have not adequately paid attention to the suffering and voices of children.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

[6] The aim of this essay is to strengthen the church\u2019s capacity to promote child well-being and address child maltreatment and, at the same time, to nourish and revitalize Christian faith and life by outlining a robust Lutheran understanding of children and our obligations to them. [3]<\/a> \u00a0The essay claims that the Lutheran tradition expresses at least six biblically based, multi-dimensional, and paradoxical perspectives on children that remind us of children\u2019s full humanity\u2014their vulnerabilities and need for guidance as well as their strengths and contributions. By holding these six paradoxical perspectives in tension (rather than in isolation), Lutherans can broaden their conception of children and strengthen their commitments to them in several areas, from child protection and advocacy to spiritual formation and theological education. Furthermore, the essay illustrates how this robust theology of childhood benefits not only children but also the whole church and its work in the world. Multi-dimensional, biblically-informed views of children strengthen our commitments to them, rejuvenate the whole body of Christ, and empower our efforts to help people of all ages and our planet flourish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PART ONE: Six Key Elements of a Robust Lutheran Understanding of Children<\/strong><\/p>\n

[7] By examining Lutheran theology and history, we find that the Lutheran tradition expresses at least six biblically based, powerful, and paradoxical perspectives on children and our obligations to them.[4]<\/a> By holding together these perspectives, Lutherans can broaden their conception of children and strengthen their commitments to them. This list is not exhaustive, and there is much more to discover in this tradition about children.[5]<\/a> Yet these six provide an overview of the depth of Lutheran commitments to and conceptions of children in the past and their potential for protecting children and promoting healthy child development and positive adult-child relationships today.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

First Perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[8] One common perspective on children emphasized in the Lutheran tradition is that children are<\/strong> vulnerable<\/strong>, and adults are to provide for, protect, and seek justice for all children\u2014not just their own children but all children in need. <\/em><\/strong>The Lutheran tradition recognizes that children are among the most voiceless and vulnerable people on the planet, and they are often victims of injustice. The commitment to provide for, protect, love, and seek justice for children and the most vulnerable in our midst\u2014widows, orphans, strangers, the poor, and the marginalized\u2014is grounded in key biblical passages. Deuteronomy states, for example: \u201cFor the LORD your God \u201cis not partial and takes no bribe,\u201d \u201cexecutes justice for the orphan and the widow,\u201d and \u201cloves the strangers, providing them food and clothing\u201d; and \u201cYou shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt\u201d (Deut 10:17-19). The book of Isaiah begins with the plea, \u201cCease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow\u201d (Isa 1:16\u201317). Woven throughout the text is a powerful vision of all children experiencing peace, well-being, and wholeness\u2014shalom.<\/em>[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

[9] Lutheran obligations to children in need are also grounded in Jesus\u2019 command to \u201cLove the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself\u201d (Luke 10:27). The neighbor includes all people, regardless of age or other distinctions, and all have equal worth. As S\u00f8ren Kierkegaard (1833\u20131855), the Danish philosopher and Lutheran theologian, clarified: \u201cOne\u2019s neighbor is one\u2019s equal\u2026and to love one\u2019s neighbor means equality\u2026[Every person] is your neighbor on the basis of equality with you before God,\u201d and \u201cabsolutely\u201d every individual has this equality and \u201chas it absolutely.\u201d[8]<\/sup><\/a> Jesus extends love of neighbor to everyone, including enemies, and shows compassion directly to children. He welcomes them, receives them, touches them, and heals them. He takes them up in his arms and blesses them.<\/p>\n

[10] Luther emphasizes love of neighbor and attending to children\u2019s needs in several works. In his famous essay, The Freedom of a Christian <\/em>(1522), he argues that although believers are justified by faith alone, they freely love and serve their neighbors. As he says, \u201cFaith is truly active through love, that is, it finds expression in works of the freest service, cheerfully and lovingly done.\u201d[9]<\/a> Luther also emphasizes that adults have a duty to provide not only for their own<\/em> children but also for all<\/em> children in need. Already in 1523, Luther helped to set up what was called a \u201cCommon Chest.\u201d This chest pooled community resources to offer gifts and low interest loans \u201cto all the needy in the land.\u201d \u201cThere is no greater service of God,\u201d Luther says, \u201cthan Christian love which helps and serves the needy.\u201d[10]<\/a> The ordinance for the Common Chest regulates funding not only for adults but also for poor children and orphans, including funds for their material needs, schooling, and even marriage dowries for orphaned or poor girls.<\/p>\n

[11] This approach to neighbor love through shared civic responsibility continues to inform many activities and agencies of Lutheran communities worldwide. Lutherans around the world today help feed and clothe poor children and orphans, sponsor adoption agencies and support those who adopt, and advocate for children\u2019s rights and political policies that protect children and families. This commitment to children in need is a task shared by Lutheran families, congregations, and a host of national and international Lutheran organizations, agencies, hospitals, clinics, orphanages, and child advocacy and lobbying ministries. For example, although Lutheran\u2019s make up only about 3% of the population in the United States and only about 1% of the population worldwide, organizations such as Lutheran Social Service, Lutheran World Relief, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service are consistently ranked among the most highly respected not-for-profit organizations in the country and world.<\/p>\n

Second Perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[12] Along with the notion that children are vulnerable, the Lutheran tradition affirms that children are fully human and made in the image of God, <\/strong>and adults are to t<\/em>reat them wi<\/em><\/strong>th dignity and respect. <\/em><\/strong>This duty is grounded in the biblical notion that all children, like all adults, are whole and complete human beings who are made in the image of God and possess God-given equality. The basis of this claim is Genesis 1:27, which states that God made humankind, male and female, in \u201cthe image of God.\u201d All children (like all adults)\u2014regardless of race, gender, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or any other difference\u2014are made in God\u2019s image, have intrinsic value, and are equally worthy of dignity and respect.<\/p>\n

[13] Although we might consider it self-evident that infants and children are human beings, in many places and times (including various contexts today), many children are not considered fully human. Children have been perceived and mistreated as ignorant, parental property, or economic burdens. They have been exploited as gullible consumers, sex objects, or child soldiers. Yet from the beginning of the church, theologians have emphasized the full equality and intrinsic value of all persons, including infants and children. In the third century, for example, Cyprian wrote that all people, even infants, are \u201calike and equal since they have been made once by God.\u201d All share a \u201cdivine and spiritual equality.\u201d[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

[14] The biblical notion that all human beings, including children, are made in the image of God lies at the heart of Lutheran commitments to children and, more broadly, to human equality, dignity, and rights. Respecting children\u2019s full humanity means we should not only attend to children\u2019s vulnerabilities and needs but also their strengths and contributions. Children, like adults, are not simply victims but also agents with their own ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Taking their voices and experiences seriously strengthens our advocacy efforts with and on behalf of them.<\/p>\n

[15] Given this understanding of children, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and World Council of Churches (WCC) have supported the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and have worked together with UNICEF and other child-focused secular agencies to develop common statements and practical strategies regarding child well-being and children\u2019s rights. They have emphasized the importance of listening to children and honoring their ideas and full participation in decisions about their well-being. For example, the WCC actively supports a variety of local and global initiatives focused both on child protection and child participation.[12]<\/a> The LWF has sought to prevent violence against children by working with the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children.[13]<\/a> Lutheran faith leaders in the United States and abroad have also worked with the Zero Abuse Project, which aims to end abuse in all settings.[14]<\/a> Since 2020, Sweden has incorporated the CRC into law, and the Church of Sweden\u2019s Archbishop Dr Antje Jackel\u00e9n and other faith leaders emphasize that children play important roles in both church and society; therefore \u201cthey should be invited, encouraged and empowered to participate and to be listened to.\u201d[15]<\/a><\/p>\n

Third Perspective<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

[16] A third Lutheran perspective is that children are<\/strong> developing beings, and adults are to instruct, guide, and bring them up in the faith, helping them to love God and their neighbors. <\/em><\/strong>The Christian tradition recognizes that adults have a responsibility not only to attend to children\u2019s physical needs but also their moral and spiritual development. Several biblical texts address these responsibilities. Lutherans, like other Christians, and Jews, refer to the famous lines from Deuteronomy 6:5-7:<\/p>\n

You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.<\/p>\n

In his Large Catechism<\/em>, Luther said, \u201cIf we want capable and qualified people for both the civil and the spiritual realms, we really must spare no effort, time, and expense in teaching and educating our children to serve God and the world.\u201d[16]<\/a><\/p>\n

[17] Luther and his fellow reformers understood that both the church and the family are responsible for the faith formation of children. Luther\u2019s emphasis on faith formation in the home is deeply connected to his understanding of parenting as a divine calling or vocation. For Luther, the main responsibility of parents is to nurture the faith of their children and to help them develop their gifts to serve God and the world, and he writes and preaches extensively on this task. Luther and other Reformers also wrote catechisms for use in the home to help parents teach children about the core beliefs and spiritual practices of the Christian faith. From a Lutheran theological perspective, parents and caregivers are more than \u201cproviders,\u201d \u201ceducators,\u201d \u201cadvisors,\u201d \u201cfriends,\u201d or \u201ccheerleaders\u201d; they have a spiritual relationship with and spiritual responsibilities for their children in daily life. As Luther claims, \u201cMost certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the gospel.\u201d[17]<\/a><\/p>\n

[18] Parents also have a duty to baptize their children and to remind them of its lifelong healing powers. For Luther, baptism offers salvation and forgiveness through water and the Word; infant baptism is a tangible sign of the graciousness of the gospel. Baptism also promises and brings \u201cthe Holy Spirit with her gifts.\u201d[18]<\/a> In addition, baptism provides lifelong comfort and renewal. It is not a one-time event. Baptism has a lifelong power and effect that helps to renew the daily life of children and adults. As Luther says, the way to regard and use baptism rightly is to \u201cdraw strength and comfort from it when our sins or conscience oppress us.\u201d[19]<\/a> Ultimately, \u00a0\u201cA Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing ever after.\u201d[20]<\/a><\/p>\n

[19] Luther\u2019s primary approach to faith formation focuses on exposing children to the Word and enlivening faith through teaching, worshipping, and reading the Bible. He also recommends daily prayers and helping children memorize the Commandments, Apostles Creed, and Lord\u2019s Prayer. Luther hopes that in these ways and others that young people will be brought up in the faith and receive Christian teaching with \u201cjoy and earnestness.\u201d[21]<\/a> He encourages adults to teach children with kindness and warns that a kind and playful approach to teaching \u201ctakes root in [children\u2019s] hearts,\u201d whereas beating them comes \u201cto no good end.\u201d[22]<\/a><\/p>\n

[20] In addition, Luther believes that singing and music are powerful vehicles of spiritual formation and renewal for adults and children alike. Luther himself was a musician, composed hymns, and promoted singing in worship, at school, and in the home. The value placed on music is reflected in his claim that \u201cNext to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise.\u201d[23]<\/a><\/p>\n

[21] Since the Reformation, Lutherans have taken seriously the moral and spiritual formation of children. They have understood that faith formation is a cooperative task between home, congregation, and the wider church with a rich appreciation of the role of parents and caregivers in the faith formation of children. They also know that faith is cultivated through hearing the Word, reading and discussing the Bible, and carrying out a host of embodied practices, such as praying, worshipping together, singing, participating in communion, and caring for others. Lutherans have therefore created numerous faith formation programs, initiatives, and activities, such as youth and family programs, religious education programs, Bible camps, music camps, national youth conventions, campus ministries, mission trips, and service projects. Lutheran communities around the world understand that children and adults actively live out their faith and love of neighbor by serving others and promoting social, economic, and environmental justice. Since the Reformation, scores of Lutheran composers, hymn writers, musicians, choirs, and instrumental ensembles have also provided the church and the world with inspiring music, and Lutheran schools, colleges, and universities support strong choral and instrumental programs.<\/p>\n

Fourth Perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[22] Although most Lutherans today and in the past emphasize that adults have a duty to nurture the spiritual lives of children, biblical texts and Lutheran theology remind us that children are spirit-filled members of the body of Christ and models of faith for adults<\/strong>, and therefore adults are to honor children\u2019s relationship to God and listen to and learn from them<\/em>.<\/strong> Adults have a responsibility not only to talk to and teach children but also to listen to and learn from them, honor their current relationship with God, and acknowledge their contributions to their families and faith communities.<\/p>\n

[23] In a host of ways, the Bible and Christian theology understand children to be Spirit-filled, models for adults, and positive agents of change. Taking these biblical and theological insights seriously expands our perception of both God\u2019s spirit and children themselves. For example, the Bible and Christian theology recognize that the Spirit moves where it will and can touch people of any age, including children. Theologians across various branches of Christianity, including the Pentecostal theologian Amos Yong, remind the global church: God\u2019s Spirit is not limited by a person\u2019s age; it is already working in children and young people.[24]<\/a> Biblical passages depict children and infants praising God (Ps 8:2; Mt 21:15). In Luke, the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and \u201ceven before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit\u201d (1:15). The book of Acts declares, God\u2019s Spirit will be poured out \u201cupon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions\u201d (Acts 2:17; cf. Joel 2:28\u201332).<\/p>\n

[24] Moreover, the Bible depicts children and young people in striking and even radical ways as positive agents of change, prophets, and models for adults. Samuel was called as a boy to be a prophet (1 Sam 2\u20134). The young David prevailed over Goliath, the Philistine, with a sling and with a stone (1 Sam 17). Furthermore, in all three synoptic gospels, Jesus identifies himself with children and lifts them up as paradigms of receiving the reign of God, saying \u201cTruly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it\u201d (Mark 10:13\u201316).<\/p>\n

[25] Although one might argue that Lutherans past and present have not sufficiently emphasized children as spirit-filled and models of faith (or paid enough attention to the Holy Spirit), key Lutheran principles stress that God\u2019s grace and Spirit are available for people of all ages, including children. For example, in his discussion of baptism, Luther emphasizes that in addition to forgiveness and salvation, baptism promises and brings \u201cthe entire Christ\u201d and \u201cthe Holy Spirit with her gifts.\u201d[25]<\/a> Luther also affirms infant baptism is \u201cpleasing to Christ\u201d and bestows the Holy Spirit, which by God\u2019s grace gives the power \u201cto interpret Scriptures and know Christ.\u201d[26]<\/a><\/p>\n

[26] If we take seriously a Lutheran understanding of the priesthood of all believers, we must also affirm children are full and equal members of this priesthood. According to Luther, through baptism, all are priests and kings in Christ:<\/p>\n

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 [:12\u201313] that we are all one body, yet every member has its own work by which it serves the others. This is because all have one baptism, one gospel, one faith, and all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us \u201cspiritual\u201d and a Christian people\u2026We are all consecrated priests through baptism, as St. Peter says in 1 Peter 2 [:9], \u201cYou are a royal priesthood and a priestly realm.\u201d[27]<\/a><\/p>\n

Thus, baptized children are members of the royal priesthood. We cannot exclude them based on their age, just as we cannot exclude anyone else based on class, gender, or race. All are equally priests in Christ. As part of this priesthood, children are also interpreters of the Word.<\/p>\n

[27] Although Luther and the early reformers respect the authority of parents, they recognize that a child\u2019s ultimate obedience is to God and therefore parental authority is limited. Luther warns parents, for example, citing Ephesians 6:4, not to provoke their children to anger. He recognizes that parents are not perfect and can sometimes be unjust or even tyrants. Thus, he claims that parental authority is always limited and never absolute because a child\u2019s ultimate loyalty is to God. \u201cParental authority is strictly limited;\u201d he says, \u201cit does not extend to the point where it can wreak damage and destruction to the child, especially to its soul.\u201d Parental authority is for \u201cbuilding up\u201d not \u201cfor destroying.\u201d[28]<\/a><\/p>\n

[28] The conception of children as both spirit-filled and models of faith encourages us to listen to and learn from children, thereby strengthening faith formation and child-adult relationships. By listening more carefully to children, adults cultivate more meaningful and mutually rewarding conversations with them. By recognizing children\u2019s strengths, adults more intentionally honor the ways that children and young people already enrich family and congregational life. By realizing that the Holy Spirit is already moving in children\u2019s lives, adults pay more attention to their ethical and spiritual questions; they become more open to listening and learning from children\u2019s experiences. This perspective deepens respect for children, creates stronger adult-child bonds, and enriches the spiritual lives of both children and adults.<\/p>\n

Fifth Perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[29] The Lutheran tradition perceives children as<\/strong> social and moral agents who are endowed with strengths, gifts, and talents that contribute to the common good now and in the future, <\/strong>and thus adults are to provide children with a strong education and honor their current vocations<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em>Lutheran understandings of children are closely intertwined with education and vocation. At a time when it was primarily the rich or those entering the monastery who learned to read and most children did not attend school, Luther and his followers believed that parents and the community have a duty to educate all children<\/strong> (poor, rich, girls, boys). This commitment is based on the understanding that children and young people have been blessed and endowed by God with unique strengths, gifts, and talents, and they are called to serve God and the world. By providing children with schools and a solid liberal arts education, both parents and the community help children not only to read and interpret the Bible but equip them to use their gifts and talents in service to others, thereby contributing to the common good.<\/p>\n

[30] Luther appealed many times to parents and civil authorities to support education for both boys and girls. In a letter to councilmen of German cities, he writes, \u201cA city’s best and greatest welfare, safety, and strength consist\u2026in its having many able, learned, wise, honorable, and well-educated citizens.\u201d[29]<\/a> He lamented that \u201cIn the sight of God none among the outward sins so heavily burdens the world and merits such severe punishment as this very sin which we commit against the children by not educating them.\u201d[30]<\/a><\/p>\n

[31] Both Luther and his colleague, Philipp Melanchthon, were strong public advocates for the liberal arts and for universal schooling. Many other Lutherans during and after the Reformation have been leaders in educational policy and reform, even central figures in histories of education, such as J. G. Herder in Germany or N.F.S. Grundtvig in Denmark.[31]<\/a> Lutherans around the world have established a vast network of educational institutions, including preschools, parochial schools, public schools, seminaries, colleges, and universities.<\/p>\n

[32] Lutheran understandings of vocation and calling emphasize that children and young people have callings here and now. Adults should honor their current contributions to our homes, congregations, and communities. A robust Lutheran understanding of vocation affirms that everyone has a calling, including children. Everyone has \u201croles\u201d or \u201coffices\u201d\u2014whether given or chosen. In addition to our professional roles and duties, even our social and familial relationships are places where God calls us to serve God and the neighbor. As Luther states:<\/p>\n

Every person surely has a calling. While attending to it they serve God. A king serves God when he is at pains to look after and govern his people. So does the mother of a household when she tends her baby, the father of a household when he gains a livelihood by working, and [pupils] when [they] apply [themselves] diligently to [their] studies\u2026Therefore it is a great wisdom when human beings do what God commands and earnestly devote themselves to their vocations without taking into consideration what others are doing.[32]<\/a><\/p>\n

Children, teenagers, and college students have a calling here and now\u2014even before they get a job or land a career. Whatever their age, they already have certain duties, roles, and responsibilities that benefit the family and the community. Moreover, young people inspire positive change, such as we see in local and global initiatives to address racism, gun violence, and climate change.<\/p>\n

Sixth Perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[33] A sixth important conception of children in the Lutheran tradition is that children are<\/strong> gifts of God and sources of joy, and adults are to enjoy them and be grateful for them. <\/em><\/strong>Many biblical passages speak of children in this way. Sarah rejoiced at the birth of her son, Isaac (Gen 21:6-7). In the gospel of John, Jesus says, \u201cWhen a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world\u201d (John 16:20-21). Luther also writes about the value, joy, and blessing of children. He and his wife had three sons and three daughters, and they raised four orphans. He speaks about children as \u201ctreasures from heaven,\u201d \u201cblessings from God,\u201d and \u201cgreat gifts.\u201d Luther loved and enjoyed his own children and wrote movingly about his daughter Magdalena when she died at age 13. The 19th<\/sup> Century Lutheran pastor, philosopher, and \u201chappy Dane,\u201d N.S.F. Grundtvig, wrote beautiful poems and hymns about children and our delight in and with them.[33]<\/a><\/p>\n

[34] All children, whether biological or adopted, are \u201cgifts\u201d to families and our communities in a host of ways. Even though scientists know much about reproduction, they are still exploring the mysteries surrounding conception. There is great wonder and awe in the process of adoption as well. Children are members of communities from the start, and they play various and complex roles within it. Viewing children as gifts of God to the whole community radically challenges common assumptions of them as \u201cproperty\u201d of parents or \u201ceconomic burdens\u201d to the community.<\/p>\n

[35] This perspective is valuable to recall when children are born and as they age. At every stage of their lives, we can delight in children and be grateful for who they are. Cultivating a sense of delight in and gratitude for children helps to navigate the ups and downs and twists and turns of the lives of both children and adults. These sensibilities help us to be curious and responsive to young people\u2019s thoughts and feelings instead of judgmental and reactive. It keeps us nimble in our relationships with them, ready to offer wisdom from our experience and, at the same time, prepared to lean in, listen to, and wonder with them.<\/p>\n

[36] The Bible, faith leaders, and social scientists today recognize that \u201cdelight\u201d and \u201cjoy\u201d help cultivate deep and meaningful connections. The Bible speaks about God\u2019s \u201cdelight\u201d in us and our delight in God. Psalm 37:4, for example, states \u201cTake delight in the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0and he will give you the desires of your heart.\u201d Social scientists claim that children\u2019s attachment to their caregivers is strengthened not only by loving them but also delighting in them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

PART TWO: Benefits of A Robust Theology of Childhood for Children, the Church, and the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

[37] When held in tension (rather than in isolation), these six biblical and Lutheran perspectives provide a full-bodied and powerful theology of childhood that broadens our conception of children and strengthens our commitments to them. By holding together these six perspectives, we are able see children in a multi-dimensional and paradoxical light as those:<\/p>\n