Let the Children Come to Me (Matt. 19:14): Jesus welcomes all children to the realm of God’s love.

The Scripture is simple and clear. Jesus welcomes children. Period. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (Matthew 19:14). 

This includes transgender children. It includes children with disabilities. It includes children of all nationalities and ethnicities, and children from various socioeconomic backgrounds. It includes children of various sexual orientations. Jesus was inclusive of all. He welcomed children of sheep herders and people who fished and children of the wealthy elite. All children were welcomed.

Then why are Jesus’ followers today trying to restrict which children are welcome, and which aren’t? 

Fact: there are 44 (!) states with anti-trans legislation pending before them. Just because state legislators want to deny children care and healthy ways of dealing with their feelings about who they are in terms of gender assigned at birth does not mean that their laws will stop the questioning of transgender youth. I knew I was gay when I was 6 or 7 years old, and I’m sure there is no legislation that could stop how I was feeling or who I was attracted to. All that the legislation does is reinforce the bullying and taunting of the youth that they experience daily in some school settings. This, of course, increases the possibility of suicidal ideation among the very same population, in which young transgender people, especially BIPOC transgender youth, are even more prone to suicidal ideation.

The legislation ranges from denying young transgender people any gender affirming care, denying those who are trans (MTF) in certain athletic sports, to denying adults gender affirming care in some states. 

“Let the children come to me,” said Jesus. He didn’t put any pre-set conditions on this call and invitation. It was, indeed, revolutionary when Jesus did it in his day and age, because children were seen as small-adults who should be put to work in the labor or school of work of the home where they lived. Jesus raised the profile of children. And so, in our world today, may that profile of all children--LGBTQIA2S+ children, children with disabilities, children from all parts of the world, children from all socioeconomic backgrounds--may they be welcomed as well in the life of Christian communities of faith.

May it be so. 

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