Bless the beasts and the children

Bless the beasts and the children. The name of a movie that made me cry, and a Carpenters song. Children and animals. The vulnerable ones. The ones needing protection. Often caught in the middle of strife.

How children and all baby animals tear at our heartstrings. Who doesn't have the image of a naked child running through the streets during Vietnam seared into their mind's eye? Some picture of Iraq or Afghanistan service members holding a dog?

Perhaps you've seen the recent image of someone aiming a gun at a cat. Or heard about feuding, divorcing adults battling over children, or even their pets. Occasionally the stories turn tragic.

Today, I ran into a friend. She has had a rough go of things for years. Her adult children are troubled addicts. I rarely go where I ran into her today, especially at that time of day. I'm sure that He was in control of that meeting. The "what's new in your life" small talk quickly turned into the information that she is now caring for three grandchildren. The kids needed stable adults in their lives. She and her husband were it.

No matter how crazy you think your life is, when given the choice over caring for your family's children or letting them go into state care, you set the other issues aside and care for your family. They are family. Ohana, to choose the Hawaiian word that explains the concept better.

Tonight in several border states, children are receiving minimal care in makeshift facilities as adults war over their next moves. Political refugees? Political pawns? Depends on where you stand. But look at those faces, and unmistakably, these are children. Frightened children. Desperate, scared kids who don't know what's next. But they expected whatever they were running to was better than what they were running from.

Some of the politicos are holding out for a "send them back" strategy. In their minds, it's not America's fault that these children's countries are torn by strife, drug running, gangs and other power struggles that put children in the middle. They don't see the kids as refugees, wanting a safe life. They see them as property -- property that got shipped here illegally. Get rid of it. Get rid of a problem.

Problem is, it's not a cargo container. It's a vulnerable child, caught in the middle.

Before you sleep tonight, get the image in your head of a child. Your sibling, your cousin, your child, your grandchild. The child in your waiting room or your Sunday School. And thank God for his or her safety. Then add one more prayer -- that other children, one day, will be blessed with peace.