Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven."

Matthew 18:2-3, NKJV

 

There's just something about little kids. Having raised three of them with my wife, and now enjoying eight more of them as our grandchildren, I can testify that there is something different about little children. They have an enthusiasm and a passion for the simplest things. I was watching a group of them filter into the church building last evening, (about eight in all) ranging from five months to five years old. Maybe it was the fact that it is Christmastime, but each one of these little kids came in with smiles on their faces, the older ones marching and prancing and waving their arms. They were excited to be there - not so much for the sitting still part during the worship, but certainly for the playing and socializing that occurs with their peers before and after that time.

 

It is a sight to behold!

 

Maybe that's why Jesus actually called a little child to him for everyone to see. I imagine that the crowd would have been delighted to see the joy and love for life that this child probably couldn't help but display. Then for Jesus to make the point with such a vivid word picture of our needing to receive His kingdom with a similar enthusiasm, well I'm sure that drove the point home in a way that mere words could not achieve. There is just something about little children!

 

In our small community we have had something called the Happy Champions since 2001. Gary Jones and Jacinda Langdon were our High School coaches at the time, and they wanted to build a basketball program that would endure for generations. So, they asked if some of the parents wouldn't mind heading up a program that would focus on instilling basic fundamentals in our elementary school kids. Not knowing what we were about to get ourselves into, we readily agreed.

 

For those of you who have never witnessed Champions, it's something to behold. Imagine about 40 kids coming out onto the basketball court at halftime to preform various ballhandling skills in front of hundreds of screaming fans. For most of these kids, it is the first time they have ever appeared in public for anything more than a handful of people, so it can be a bit overwhelming. Then they are expected to dribble around their back and between their legs and even do the spider - a frenetic dribbling of a basketball between their legs that resembles something like a blender going full speed. 

 

As you might imagine, there are often basketballs flying everywhere, with red-faced kids rushing to corral their loose basketballs without interfering with the other red-faced kids who are rushing to corral their loose basketballs, then running back to their unique spots on the court to repeat the process all over again. All of this is done to the beat of peppy music and the roar of adoring parents and grandparents who are certain they are witnessing the genesis of the next generation's Michael Jordon or Caitlin Clark.

 

And if you think the performance is chaotic, you should come to a practice sometimes. I'm pretty sure that the phrase, "everyone loves sausage, but nobody likes to see it made" was invented after someone witnessed the orchestrated chaos that defines the Champion practices.

 

There are two things that define these gatherings of little kids: One is their passion for their friends - they simply love being with one another. The second is their unbridled enthusiasm for being part of the team. Getting to have a real ball in their possession just adds to the joy! 

 

Perhaps this is a part of what Jesus was trying to point out about His church. It was never meant to be a joyless body of strangers - it was designed for a people who love God and one another (in that order) and who have an absolute enthusiasm for being part of this wonderful body. The church was never intended to be a funeral procession - it was designed to be a celebration of a common salvation. Don't get me wrong, there still needs to be a reverence when we partake in the worship of our Lord, but we cannot leave behind the joy nor the childlike enthusiasm that is to be a hallmark of the Kingdom of God. I think we all could learn from this lesson that Jesus set forth on that fateful day when He called that child before the crowd to help illustrate the type of followers that He desired.

 

Now, back to the mighty Champions. We had to suspend this program for several years following the flu outbreak that shut us down for a while. Added to that was several more years of inactivity because some of the visiting schools didn't appreciate their halftime routines being interrupted by such an enthusiastic performance.

 

But now they are back! Back with all the glorious joy and enthusiasms of youth, and with it the chaos and noise that always seems to come with little children. I for one am delighted to see them return. And, I think the entire community will be glad to see them in person after the turn of the New Year, when the mighty Champions ride again!