January 2, 2014: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Reading:  Psalm 8

Reflection:
We’ve looked at this psalm three other times in the past year during these “First Light” devotions.  In each of those times, the reflection was on creation as this is a psalm of David praising our creator. 

This time, let’s focus on verse 2, which starts “Out of the mouths of babes and infants…”  Kids do say the darnedest things, don’t they? It is often refreshing to hear the honesty of children’s speech.  They tell it like it is.  They share what they know, and don’t worry what others might think.

At camp, we teach our staff to practice HOT Communication with one another.  HOT stands for honest, open, and transparent communication.  Part of living together in community with others means we must communicate well and resolve conflict effectively.  We must speak the truth in love, share ourselves, and be frank and candid. 

Kids can be our model for that.  And so can God.  If we ponder what God is up to in the midst of conflict, then we are thinking about conflict theologically.  How we treat one another in conflict should reflect Christ and our Christian beliefs and practices.  When we do our part to manage conflicts, God does far more than we can ask or think.  As we work the steps of a Christian ethic of conflict management, we are graced by a Christ we had not thought to be present and by a hope we had not expected to realize. 

This psalm is telling us that praise, even babbling from children’s mouths, is satisfying to God.  I think working out conflicts in a positive way is also pleasing to our Creator.  –Chad Hershberger, Camp Mount Luther Director