Context
- I am writing this week’s Postscript from Central America, where the fate of the children separated from their parents at the USA border is, understandably, a matter of grave concern. Individual stories are a cause for tears of both anguish and joy, and even US Senators criticise Trump’s administration for the lack of progress.
- There are more tearful and joyful reunions as the last of the Thai football team boys are rescued from their cave ordeal, after a dangerous and complex rescue operation.
- Meanwhile feelings are running high at the start of the NATO summit. Trump’s stance isn’t popular here either – ‘Dear America, appreciate your allies, after all you don't have that many’, European Council President Donald Tusk warned, on the back of President Trump’s tweets about NATO defence funding.
- Trump’s choice of comments ahead of his controversial visit to England this weekend are also causing trouble.
- An adoption charity announces support for birth parents.
- An exhibition at The Foundling Museum is based on the tokens left by mothers with their babies so they could be identified if they were ever reunited.
- There is further controversy in the social work community as the new Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance is published.
- The BBC Earth Digital Team join those of us campaigning and acting to save the world’s oceans by taking the plastic pledge this month.
Reflection
Paul talks about being chosen, a bittersweet concept for anyone connected with adoption and fostering. The heart-rending little tokens – scraps of fabric and engraved coins – left by birth mothers at London’s Foundling Museum are testament to the pain of separation that is one part of the adoption choice story. So, it is good to see Adoption Uk's support for birth parents, who have often made a heart-wrenching choice to give up a child, in order to give that child the possibility of a better life. Adoptive parents will of course be thankful for the choice to adopt, while about 2,000 children in the UK are on the adoption list, still waiting to be chosen.
Being chosen isn’t a quick fix for the problems of a traumatic childhood, of course. Adoption UK recently launched a campaign for better support for adopted children in education, after their research revealed school can be a daily struggle, with many facing bullying and failing academically.
Meanwhile social workers are concerned that the new Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance means that they may be left without managers’ support when making those critical safeguarding decisions behind many adoption stories.
The migrant children and parents separated by recent change in the USA border practice know that bitter-sweet taste of separation and reunion; as do the families of the Thai boys football team, thankfully rescued from their dangerous ordeal. Does the joy of reunited families give us a glimpse of God’s joy at choosing us? And what does it mean to us to be chosen, adopted into God’s family? How much does our own family story impact on how we experience God’s adoption? Is it a joyful reunion or a painful reminder of past separations? What are our expectations of God, and what is expected of us? Adopted and fostered children can struggle with a sense of responsibility in their new family; should they be grateful? Do they have to be on their best behaviour?
Individual relationships and unions are the base of international ones. Trump’s behaviour and comments as an individual risk threatening the political unity of NATO and the European/USA alliances. How does our behaviour, in social media and in real life, promote or threaten unity?
Paul presents an inspiring image of this amazing, complex, beautiful and fragile world we live in. Do we choose to care, to take our responsibilities for creation seriously? Taking action to protect our ocean is just one good place to start.
Prayer
This prayer activity could be done in a service, group or family setting.
Gather photos and stories of vulnerable children in the news or known to you (being careful to respect confidentiality), and some tokens of childhood – e.g. a small shoe, or an item of clothing, a toy, a balloon.
Display these as a prayer focus and invite people to pray for:
- children and families who are separated
- children in abusive families who are hoping for a safer life
- children who are waiting for new families
- children in new families, and their new carers
- birth families, foster carers and adopters
- those who have been chosen and those who feel rejected or unwanted
- all of us who are chosen and adopted by God.
Questions
- What does it mean to you to be chosen and adopted into God’s family?
- How do your choices fit in with God’s plan for unity for the whole earth?
- Have you taken an active choice to care for creation?
All-age activity
Display a collection of plastic objects that are significant culprits in ocean pollution – disposable plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic cotton-buds, flip-flops, fast food containers. Add some photos of polluted and pollution-free oceans if you have time. Remind people of the phrases and images in the reading of the beautiful and complex organism of the universe. But our choices – to use the convenience of plastic – are threatening to destroy the oceans. Ask people to share ideas about how we can help to care for our oceans and challenge them to take a new action this week.
Young people
Tell about the tokens left by birth mothers with the babies left at the Foundling Hospital in the 18th century. Explain that, often, they hoped that one day they might be able to look after their child again, and these tokens were a way to identify whose baby this was. Sadly, most were never reunited. The care and personalisation of the tokens, is a poignant testimony to the love that went with the foundlings. The charity, now known as Coram, after the Foundling Hospital's founder Thomas Coram, plays a key role in supporting families through fostering and adoption.
Paul says that parental love is the precious gift that God offers us: unlimited, unconditional. Gather materials for everyone to make their own token as a symbol of God’s love. Cotton cloth and fabric pens make a simple activity; add sequins, ribbons and/or embroidery thread for added interest.
Jane Chevous chooses to support social action through her creative learning company, Reshapers, while sailing along the Pacific coast of Central America, clearing up plastic on the way.
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