Walls

We have to get beyond the walls, people. I’m not actually writing this to those individuals who routinely read my blog because you, more or less, already follow this advice.

Pastor Andy’s daughter is 17 months old. When Andy’s wife, Gretel, brings baby Maggie into church, a swarm of older adults and wanna-be young mothers descend upon the child. It is often a veritable swarming.

Old women squeeze her arms and say “look at those little ham hocks.”(am I the only one who thinks this is offensive?) People continuously try and determine which parent she most looks like. (She had Andy’s head for a while, but now it is obvious that she is going to look like her mother (praise God!).

I’m rambling.

There are babies all over America that will never be held by someone who loves them. The weekly onslaught of well-wishers who berate this baby would do so much good if they would save up those hugs, pats, pokes, and squeezes and give them instead to a baby in desperate need of affection.

In Erie a woman beat her boyfriend with their infant son. Our former associate pastor Joe Peabody, when he was in college, would volunteer in a hospital. His job was to hold AIDS babies and crack babies. They need volunteers. One of my friends was dropped off in a hotel to be put up for adoption. There are babies that need to be held. There are a lot of babies that need attention more than little Maggie does!

Those people who love Maggie need to seriously consider giving that love to a Baby who will be nothing without some level of encouragement and love. We have to get beyond our walls. There are so many little steps. This is a baby step (oh, I adore puns!) for sure, but if we all take a few more baby steps in no time at all we will be busting out of the walls that we have built for ourselves.

In what other areas would a small step out of our comfort zone possible change the world? I’m sure we could think of thousands if we really tried.

(I wrote this last night, but it complements Bill Beatty's blog nicely.)