Four boys were beaten and tied to the pole for allegedly stealing Kurkure and biscuit packets from a grocery shop in Bihar’s Begusarai district on 28 October. (NDTV 31 October 2023)
A historical event
There was one child who stole a loaf of bread from a shop in a village in Britain. The police caught him and presented him in the local court. The judge was perturbed. First, I am ashamed to live in such a wicked place. Second, the village is guilty of allowing a child to go hungry. Third, a fine is imposed on the boy. Fourth, all present in the court must donate now, the money will be paid as a fine and the rest for his rehabilitation.
Train a child
God has commanded the parents and institutions like churches and schools to train the children in the right way. (Proverbs 22:6) Teaching them the Ten Commandments, which include a prohibition against stealing is important. (Exodus 20:15) It is disheartening to see parents neglecting their duties and roles in many families. Some children do not have parents. In many cases, the school also fails as children do not go to school or learn with keenness.
Children beg
Prophet Jeremiah wept as he saw children begging for bread, but none was giving them. (Lamentations 4:4) It is miserable, the hungry children resort to stealing.
Culture
The judge clearly said that a place is wicked when the children are not taken care of in the local community. Society is guilty of not being sensitive to the poor and needy. Orphans, destitute, and fatherless suffer immensely as they are deprived of love and material needs.
The initiatives of the church
Godly people like George Muller took care of abandoned children when their parents died of disease, war, accidents, or natural disasters. Many children’s homes around the world became a safe haven for such children. Today such institutions are not allowed to survive due to several laws. Now, the church should mobilize Christian families to adopt such children to show Christ’s love to the world.
Am I like Mordecai to adopt children like Esther?