October 4, 2022

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” (2 Timothy 1:5)

That’s Paul writing to Timothy, a fledgling minister. First off, we see ours is not a patriarchal faith. Lois, Eunice, and a whole host of powerful women were leaders of the early church. Jesus treated women with counter-cultural equanimity and respect.

But having done two baptisms over the weekend, I’m thinking here about how faith is communicated from generation to generation, as it was from Lois to Eunice to Timothy. Believing parents long for their children to know the grace and security of Jesus Christ. Seemingly wayward children hurt the hearts of their parents and often cause them to wonder what went wrong.

All I know is this: children belong to God. As we say at a baptism, while making the sign of the cross on a baby’s forehead, “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.”

Marked as Christ’s own forever. As a parent and a Christian, I believe that is true.

“Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come, knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”(For Those We Love – BCP)