Editorial May 4, 1918 Issue

Children and Liberty

Annie M. Knott

Many are asking at this hour what effect present world conditions are having upon children; and when we remember the sensitive thought of those who are very young, we may well be concerned respecting the means taken to preserve them from the hardships and sufferings which so many adults have to face and overcome. No one would deny that liberty is very dear to children, even though they may have a very imperfect sense of what constitutes true freedom; but the same may be said of those who have had many years of mortal experience. This, however, will be readily admitted,—that the child is more teachable than the adult, and is ready to be corrected if only the true idea is presented to him in the right way.

Our Leader pays a sweet tribute to childhood when she says (Science and Health, p. 236): "Children are more tractable than adults, and learn more readily to love the simple verities that will make them happy and good." To this she adds, "Jesus loved little children because of their freedom from wrong and their receptiveness of right." An American educator who has been looking into the conditions of children in Europe during the present war struggle, reported that in England at least they were being well cared for; but it was sad to learn from the report, that on the continent, nearer the scenes of conflict, children showed the effects of it in their mental repression and sadness. It was said that there the children never laugh and never cry. This would necessarily arouse deep sympathy on the part of American people, who seldom forget to be kind to children, even if they are not always wise in manifesting it; and while all Christian Scientists are gladly doing their utmost in every way possible to ameliorate the conditions of humanity at this hour, they need to rely more fully upon Truth, and work more energetically along spiritual lines, knowing that thus can we best become coworkers with infinite Love and wisdom.

One of the most deeply touching stories in the Bible is the record of the events which immediately followed Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when he went into the temple of God and cast out therefrom the representatives of material worship. We read that the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and that he healed them; but according to the record it would seem that the chief priests and scribes took special offense at the demonstration made by the children. It is wonderful to read of their joyful acclaim in singing their praises to the Master who was revealing to all humanity what liberty really means. When the chief priests said to the Master respecting the children's praises, "Hearest thou what these say?" Jesus replied, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" This story shows very clearly that however much the older people were in bondage to fear—fear of human opinion and the consequences of ignoring it—these little ones had realized, at least for that day and hour, "the glorious liberty of the children of God."

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