2 posts tagged “adoption”
This book comes highly recommended for anyone that has ever considered adoption or has been involved in the adoption process. But the book goes beyond promoting adoption. In the author's words:
“In this book I want to call us all to consider how encouraging adoption—whether we adopt or whether we help others adopt—can help us peer into the ancient mystery of our faith in Christ and can help us restore the fracturing unity and the atrophied mission of our congregation.” As Moore explains, “The gospel of Jesus Christ means our families and churches ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans close to home and around the world.” It is the gospel that calls us to adopt but it is also the gospel that teaches us how to understand adoption. In fact, “as we become more adoption-friendly, we’ll be better able to understand the gospel... I want to ask what it would mean if our churches and families were known as the people who adopt babies—and toddlers, and children, and teenagers. What if we as Christians were known, once again, as the people who take in orphans and make of them beloved sons and daughters?”
I see the adoption of a child into a loving family as a beautiful reflection of the gospel. Like the orphan, we were once outcasts and strangers to God, but because of the sacrifice of Christ, we are welcomed with open arms into God's family and provided an eternal home. I hope to read this book soon and report back with more thoughts at a later time.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," - James (1:27).
I recently read about some interesting and somewhat troubling statistics: In Canada there are over 22,000 orphans in foster care that are waiting for an adoptive family to take them in. In the US the number of orphans ready for adoption is 115,000. As a new father myself, the thought of a child growing up without a loving home sends a pang of sorrow into my gut. Contrasted with these statistics are the number of Christians in Canada and in the US that profess to follow Jesus Christ: Over 21 million and 224 million respectively (of which 6 million in Canada and 65 million in the US claim to be evangelical protestants) [Todays Parent.July 2005; Stats Canada 2001 census; 2001 survey by City University of New York; Associated Press, May, 2007]. The troubling aspect of these statistics is the gross disparity between the number of orphans and the number of Christians. I mean, can't 245 million Christians in the affluent countries of Canada and the US save 137,000 orphans from a heartbreaking parentless childhood? Why are there even any orphans here at all? Granted, not all of the 245 million Christians here have the ability to care for an orphaned child and provide a safe and loving home to grow up in; but shouldn't there be at least 137,000 out of the 245 million (0.056%) that can?
The pastor of my church, Dan MacDonald and his wife Sue, are currently in the process of adopting their first child here in Toronto. They don't have much materially, but the child that finds himself/herself in that home will be one fortunate child indeed. I know Dan and Sue will give the shirts off their backs to care for and provide for that child, just as Christ gave of himself to provide for us. I see the story of their adoption as a beautiful picture of God's grace and love. Like the orphan, we were once outcasts and strangers to God, but because of the sacrifice of Christ, we've been adopted into God's family and provided an eternal home. As former orphans ourselves, shouldn't we be able to identify a little more with the orphans around us today?
Historically, the early Christians were known for taking care of the orphans and the needy. I hope the same can one day be said for us Christians in the west today.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," - James (1:27).
