Go Beyond

One of my favorite songs is entitled “By Our Love” by singer Christy Nockels. One of the verses of the song says, “Children, you are hope for justice, stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above. You will be reaching, long after we’re gone, and they will know you by your love!” If we teach our children about justice today, then it’s possible that our children will become champions who will come to the aid of those who will suffer oppression in the next generation. However, if we fail to teach our children about justice, then future generations will suffer for lack of champions.

A key part of our purpose statement at Kingsland is “equipping the generations, one home at a time.” We are committed to guiding parents to become the primary faith trainers who will teach their children “when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:7). Parents must take the lead in teaching their children “to put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments” (Ps. 78:7). But, parents must also teach their children about the unfamiliar passions of God — caring for the least of these, helping the weak, and championing the cause of the oppressed.

One way in which we are teaching our children about justice is through our Just Change initiative. We have provided each family at Kingsland with a house-shaped bank with the words “Just Change” printed on the roof. The change we collect in these banks is being used to change the lives of the young girls who reside in the aftercare home we support in West Bengal, India. These young sex-trafficking victims, almost one-hundred and fifty of them, were rescued from brothels by champions of justice. Because of our financial support, they receive medical care, counseling, education and vocational training — all in a safe, secure, and loving environment.

Our hope is that through our justice initiatives parents will teach their children to be a little less selfish, a little more thoughtful of those in need, and much more willing to make personal sacrifices in order to make a difference. We also hope that as a result of intentionally teaching our children about justice, some of our children will grow up to become champions for the oppressed and abused. Two weeks ago, one mother told me that her kinder-aged son put seventy-dollars he had been saving into their Just Change bank. “The girls in India need a home,” he told his Mom, “more than I need the toy I have been saving for.” And, yesterday, I received an e-mail from a Mom who typed this message from her young son: “Our family is praying for all the people in India and we put money in the bank to help get them food, beds, and clothes. We also hope that they will learn about God. I just put $20 from my savings spot in my bank because I want to help them.”

I love stories like this and I applaud these parents for teaching their children (in age-appropriate ways) about those who suffer at the hands of the wicked. Stories of children like these fill me with hope — hope that God is indeed equipping a generation of children who will be reaching and loving others, long after we’re gone. Let’s make the words of Christy Nockels’ song our prayer — “Children, you are hope for justice, stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above. You will be reaching, long after we’re gone, and they will know you by your love!”