Stop the Tyranny of Misjudging Children!
...remember this: God Himself governs you with patience. He sees your weakness, your slowness, your repeated faults; and yet He does not hasten to condemn. He corrects, but He also sustains; He judges, but He also shows mercy. Go, and do likewise with children, and those under your authority ... Prologue : An urgent Matter! Are you an elder in any capacity? Let us look at a particular matter closely. It is urgent! Notice that there is a subtle injustice that poisons the bond between elders and the young: the habit of presuming bad will. A child fails, forgets, hesitates; and at once he is judged lazy, stubborn, or defiant. Anger rises, punishment follows. Yet this reflex, so common, is a grave moral fault. Against this harsh instinct stands the gentle command of Our Lord: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Here, divine wisdom rebukes human severity. Christ does not first demand...