Christmas and Children's Rights

Many people around the world are celebrating Christmas today.  Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, although no one really knows exactly when He was born, and not all people of Christian faiths agree on the exact date. 

All we know is that a special child was born on that day, with the potential to change the world.  It had been prophesied that this child would be the next "King of the Jews".  The infant was in great danger, as King Herod of Judea had ordered his soldiers to kill all male infants so that Herod and his line could rule forever.  Only one man had the courage to give Mary and Joseph a place to hide and give birth to this special child.

Knowing the background of Christ's birth gives Christmas a brand new meaning.  To celebrate Christ's birth is not necessarily recognizing the birth of a new religion, or even recognizing Christ as the child of God.  Celebrating Christ's birth is recognizing that all children born on this Earth have the potential to change the world.  For this reason, all children deserve food, clothing, and shelter.  They deserve a loving family who will make them aware of their potential and help them achieve it.  They deserve the opportunity to express themselves and to be heard.  They deserve our protection, guidance, and support.

It has become a tradition to give children presents during Christmas.  No matter what the gift, it should be given with the intention of developing a child's potential, showing them love, and helping them bond with family and community.  Many people give donations to children's charities during the Christmas holidays, hoping that needy children will eventually have the opportunity to reach their potential. 

There are still many parts of the world where it seems that children are born to suffer.  This is especially the case in parts of the world where girls do not enjoy the same freedoms or safeties as boys, or where children are sold into slavery, prostitution, or rebel armies.  In the United States, there are nearly 500,000 children in foster care; many of these children suffer from severe emotional problems stemming from unstable living conditions, neglect, and abuse.  Around the world, more children are receiving autistic spectrum disorder diagnoses; without a supportive family and community, and without the right educational environment, many of these children will never reach their potential.  As more Americans lose their jobs, more children are seeing their lives downsized from a house to the back seat of a car. 

While we give our own children Christmas presents and holiday memories of favorite foods, movies, and games shared with family, we should not forget the children in our community who will not have those things.  On Christmas, if not more often, we should make the time to visit a child who needs to be reminded of their potential, and reminded that no matter how bad things get, good adults still exist who can set an example.