URC Daily Devotion 20 August 2026

Mark 10.13-16 

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Reflection

Although most children did not become seriously ill even if they caught Covid, they were required to stay at home, their playgrounds were closed and their opportunities drastically curtailed. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard a great deal about the effect of the pandemic on children, and – shockingly – that none of the governments of the UK gave much attention to the needs of children when making their initial decisions in 2020. The farcical way in which GCSE/National 5 and A-level/Highers results were announced and then changed in each nation that summer caused huge distress to older children.

When schools were closed, it was decided that ‘vulnerable children’ would still be able to attend. Many parents resented greatly the state suddenly declaring that their own children were ‘vulnerable’ and decided to keep them at home rather than send them to school. Follow-up was patchy, and some children disappeared from view. Sadly, some suffered as a consequence not of catching Covid but of neglect or abuse. The Inquiry has recommended that in future the rights of children themselves be given proper weight through Children’s Rights Impact Assessments.

How different is the approach of Jesus, who doesn’t just talk about children, but welcomes them literally into the centre of the conversation and blesses them. These children are more than a visual aid. They are a reminder to the disciples, and to us, that we can see the kingdom of God most clearly in the way that children live, play and interact. Adults need to learn from them, rather than decide what should be done to them.

This lesson for governments is also a lesson for the Church. We have Jesus’s example, and quote it at infant baptism and dedication services. But do we live it out in church life, and place children at the centre?

Prayer

Father and Mother God,
in Jesus you placed children at the centre of your kingdom,
and call on us to do likewise.
In our public life and our church life we often forget,
and – like the disciples – try to marginalise them.
Forgive us, and help us bless the children among us,
by listening and taking seriously what they have to say
and by seeking their interests even in the midst of our own crises.
Amen.