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I came across this recently. It’s the poem “On Children” by Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
I like this view of children and our relationship to them. Is far superior to the biblical one which treats children like property. I’m thinking if we saw children in this light then perhaps there would be fewer people okay with the current treatment of refugee and immigrant children in this country. I think there would be fewer people okay with churches protecting child abusers.
I think this world would be a much better place overall.
Cheers!
–John
