Center the Children

In broad daylight, Jesus went out to walk among the crowd, and there He found expectant faces—innocent, full of life, curiosity, and tenderness. They were children. Whether He called them over or they approached Him is irrelevant; the point is the action that followed: He placed them at the center. Yes—those beings without status, seen as objects by their parents, non-persons without voice, without rights, without recognition, dependent on others; little intruders in the scenes of everyday life. Yes, in an era when many children did not reach adulthood. In times, when Roman parents could abandon unwanted babies or children with disabilities.

According to the disciples, Jesus, the Son of God, had more important matters. The rabbi Jesus should focus on influential people, organizing the movement, managing teachings, debates, or speeches. But for Jesus, the children were central: perfect metaphors for the human being—or “the Christian” we aspire to be today—treasures of God’s heart and representatives of the Kingdom.

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them.”

There is no issue more important than children. Yes—those of Israel and Gaza. Americans and Mexicans. Canadians and Venezuelans. All of them. They are so important that they act as barometers of morality, of sin, and of how much God is present in a people. These inhabitants of the Kingdom are those we are called to serve as the first order of religious piety.

Yet today, there is a government working to undermine this teaching. In just nine months, the Trump administration has attempted to:

• Deport children illegally to Guatemala

• Eliminate protections and standards of care for children in federal custody

• Detain unaccompanied migrant children who just turned 18 in adult facilities

• Pressure children into self-deportation –and called it “Freaky Friday”

• Put at risk the lives of 4.5 million of children worldwide

Although the Senate has voted on a short-term funding bill that reopened the government and kept operations running into January,  millions of children—American children—are being affected because of political games between Casablanca and Congress. This is a reminder of how fragile compassion is when power forgets the faces of children.

So much cruelty hidden under the name of God, as if children were mere currency to trade. The hearts of many hardened.

Politics is not that complicated. It is our love for sin, money, and power that blinds us. Center children in policy, and the right decisions become obvious. Doubt what is right? Center the children. Just as the disciples could not see clearly, it is not the children who complicate the picture. It is our own perversity and depravity. Our own hatred veiled as righteous Christian anger. Many baptize their bitterness, call cruelty conviction, mistake punishment for holiness, cloak prejudice in scripture and interpret strength in weakness, virtue in sin.

Jesus’ gesture was profoundly countercultural. It was not a tender illustration of spiritual sweetness; it was a prophetic act confronting the social order of His time. And it confronts us today.

Elket Rodríguez is an attorney, advocate, and field personnel who currently serves as the Global Migration Advocate for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and FaithWorks. Based on the Texas border, Rodríguez works at the intersection of faith, law, and global migration, providing strategic guidance for advocacy efforts on behalf of immigrants, internationals, and refugees in both national and global contexts.

Originally from Puerto Rico, he was commissioned as a CBF Field Personnel in June 2022 and now leads CBF’s Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Team. In this role, he advises organizations, pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders on migration advocacy and missional strategies.

Rodríguez also accompanies migrant communities in the United States, offering guidance on their rights and promoting empowerment and dignity among those he serves. In addition, he leads educational and training programs for CBF partner churches and organizations, strengthening a broad network of support and solidarity on behalf of migrants.