The video clip of the Lebanese kids dotting their nanny, Rosie, at the airport brought many to tears. Most people who watched the scene got emotional too. It was a perfect picture of what humanity should be. It revealed how powerful love is in conquering all ills that bedevil the world today. A few lessons came to light from that scene. It is clear that ethnic or colour biases that rule the world today are taught and not what we were born with. Hatred is taught. Segregation is taught. Rosie is black, a Kenyan; the children who loved her so much are of Arab descent. These children don’t see colour differences. They do not know of age or language barriers. They simply related with their nanny on the basis of love.

Unless people are converted and become as little children, they have no chance of making it to the kingdom of heaven.

This brings us to our text. The disciples were eager to know who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus found no other way to answer them other than to use children as an illustration. Unless people are converted and become as little children, they have no chance of making it to the kingdom of heaven. What is it about children to make them a measuring rod? Their love is one thing. Malice is alien to children; they have so much love to give. Then their faith comes into the picture. They are easily persuadable. We can also talk about their tenacity. If a child is interested in a thing, he or she stays committed until the end of it. These are the values we must imbibe and exhibit in order to be exemplary citizens of the kingdom of God.