Children Should Be Treated With Affection and Have the Right to an Education.

 Transcribed by AI

Radio Voice of Life: God is close to the broken-hearted and will shine upon the spirits of the lost and bring salvation. Oh, my body cannot allow my troubled mind to be alone, do not leave me, my God; pour out Your spirit upon me, and let us be in our own world.

The truth is that the joy and pleasure of life for every human being lies in childhood, which is a very sweet time. From infancy to adolescence, there are special joys that God has given us. During this time, our sleep is filled with memories. Our eating, our sitting and standing, our conversations with brothers and sisters, with relatives, and with the elders of our families, and our school days were very sweet. It was a very pleasant and peaceful atmosphere.

However, unfortunately, it is heartbreaking to see children and adolescents, regardless of their class, in such situations that bring tears to our eyes. In our country, there is such a longing and hope for a child’s happiness at school. A place where they can converse with their peers, learn from each other, and hear from their teachers. Why are they deprived? Yes, at this time, we see our children facing the heartbreaking incidents that occur when they go to school, which is truly very painful.

Our children cannot even recognise what they find. They cannot understand what it is. Thank God that they do not have proper toys at home, nor outside, nor in parks, nor in schools, to play with. Nevertheless, dear listeners, these children are the seedlings of tomorrow. Unfortunately, they become victims of war, hatred, and misery, while they themselves are not responsible for the war; they should not be responsible for the enmity of adults. This question is very painful and profound.

A child's life is, of course, very valuable before God, and the Holy Scriptures never condone murder, cruelty, or hatred. But there are those who disbelieve and wonder why they are unaware of God's command. Yes, as it says in Psalm 127, verse 3: "Children are a gift from the Lord." Amen. They are a gift that God bestows upon a couple, a blessing for parents who hope to have a child. This gift from God is always precious. Yes, Jesus Christ also says in the Gospel of John, chapter 18, verse 10, "Be aware that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." This shows how much respect and love Jesus has for these little ones who are gifts; He says they should never be despised or punished. Even today, dear listeners, we see that even the children do not have peace and comfort, nor does their spirit have peace; their bodies and souls are not at ease. What has become of the wars and the unexpected incidents? Their spirits are crushed, and we see that our children are taken to places where they face walls. Today, in our country, there is a massacre of children.

So dear listener, we all have pains, not just the children. Each of us, while we have sweet memories, also carries pain and anguish. In the city of Biroubar, a young boy named Baran lived. This boy was enduring the bitter taste of loneliness and poverty. He had lost his parents in childhood and lived in an old house with a very ill-tempered old man.

Baran's only job was to bring flowers, arrange them, and then go into the city of Biroubar, holding the flowers in his hands, calling out their beauty to the people in the squares, saying, "Take the flowers, buy the flowers." In short, his life was filled with bitterness, and one day winter arrived. Baran's clothes had become old and torn, and the cold wind seeped through the holes in his clothes, gradually freezing his body.

One night, as the snow was falling heavily, the streets and the city were deserted, and Baran was still standing in a corner of the square with three wilted flowers in his hands. He was reluctant to head home. He hadn’t earned any money to give to the old man. Tears streamed down his face, as he felt completely hopeless, thinking that his world had been forgotten.

In the darkness, he saw a woman with a cheerful face getting out of her car. She approached him and could see that the cold had made him tremble, his hands and body were shaking. This woman took Baran's small hands in her warm ones and comforted him. She said to him, "I will buy all your flowers, my son. But I have one request: you must go to a warm place." Baran looked at the woman in disbelief as she not only bought his flowers but also offered him food. Her kindness aimed to encourage this little boy; she held him in her arms and warmed him up. She said one thing to Baran: "You are strong. I am sure that one day you will do great things." This filled his heart with hope.

Yes, it is a very interesting story. But his flowers were wilted. His heart felt just as hopeless as those flowers. We can see that he had no hope. When a person has no hope, it feels as if the world has become dark and shadowy. They cannot understand anything. They cannot recognise anything. However, when God gives you hope, you should never think of despair. Never think about what you will become or where you will go. It is God who renews our hearts. We should foster our hope for the future generations that lie ahead.

We must not start from a place of justification at home. There are fathers who throw their children out of the house. There are fathers who raise their voices in anger, causing their children to live in fear and despair. They say, "Go and work." This is what we see in our country. There are fathers who sometimes shout at their children, telling them to earn money or paint shoes or bring me bread. Yes, they even say, "Go and beg." Yes. Every child, at a young age, has a time to study and learn, to be loved through their father, mother, and family.

Another cruel layer arises from the home. Yes. I remember a man who was a drug addict and would gather poor and orphaned children and teach them to beg. Dozens of children in Kabul were subjected to this, doing whatever they wanted. Yes. But it seems that now schools and the education system are taking away the future of our children. Yes. So dear listeners, fathers and mothers must be vigilant; we must take care of our children because times have become very dangerous. Yes. Even in the streets, we have individuals who, God forbid, might exploit children sexually. We must be cautious. There are those who enter schools, communities, and kindergartens, leading our children to destruction. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I am the resurrection and the life. How can I die? It is true that we have physical death, but spiritual death is much harder and more painful. So war, famine, and poverty in society do not only take the lives of children; they also take the dreams of families, the future of communities, and the hope of future generations, leaving a wounded legacy. A child who should be nurtured with books, encouragement, and hope, should not become a victim of family anger. They should not bear the revenge and hatred of adults. The way to escape the cycle of violence is not to continue hatred, but rather to embrace forgiveness, love, justice, and peace. And this is the message of Christ, which is clear.

In this regard, let me ask you, at what stage are your children growing up? When they return from school, do you ask them what they learned? Do you encourage them to share what they should be learning and what they should not pursue? Yes, one more thing is that parents should always be their children’s cheerleaders. They should be aware of what their children learn in school and encourage them. If they understand that, they will never become complacent. Yes.

Children are those who understand with books and pens, not with sticks and stones. They aspire to learn, not to fight; they dream of building a future, not destroying it. For a child, school is not just a building. It is a place where children are nurtured to become teachers, doctors, engineers, and writers who will serve their country and future generations. But, thank God, we see that from the perspective of the Holy Scriptures, those who kill and destroy children are condemned. The Scriptures take the sanctity of human life very seriously.

If we look at the Old Testament, we read that when God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses, He says, "You shall not kill." Yes, this command from God, the God of the heavens and the earth, is indeed very brief, but its message is profound. Dear listeners, whether we are parents or anyone else, we must understand that a child's life is not our personal property that we can take away out of anger, hatred, or revenge. Yes, we cannot do whatever we want.

Jesus did not only speak about the act of murder; He addressed the underlying roots of violence within us, how we use others, including our children, to vent our frustrations. He wants to cleanse our hearts through the power of His Spirit, through our faith in Jesus Christ, because all our hearts are sick. Dear listeners, in this world, we see that children are precious. How much can a child thrive with a kind word, with good education, and with love, whether at home, in school, or in society?

Because it is evident from the Holy Scriptures that we must value children. But unfortunately, in our country, there is no allowance for this; people are not caring, not understanding, but they continue in this blind manner. All the violence, all the anger, and all the things happening in our society are directed towards children. Absolutely. Is revenge, anger, hatred, and shouting a solution, dear listener?

Again, dear listener, I cannot speak for all families. There are fathers and mothers who encourage their children, who nurture them. The differences among families and communities matter. If they are in a situation where they do not yet understand, they must realise the precious gift that God has given them, and they must understand how much a child is a valuable treasure for a family and for a father and mother. Absolutely.

It is indeed good that at this moment we can pray for these children and the children of our country, asking God to liberate these children from this oppression, from this dark world, and to set them free. Thank you, God. Heavenly Father, we lift up the children of our country in Your presence, children we see in the markets, selling goods, collecting plastic, selling paper, painting shoes, and washing cars. O Lord, I bring them before You, that Your mighty hands may be upon them.

Lord, be their protector, dear God. We also want one day for Your voice to reach their ears, dear God. May they not be far from education and learning, dear God. May they not be away from the love of their families and the love of their communities, dear God. We know that You love children more and more. We wish for Your blessings in their lives. It does not matter to us whether they are boys or girls; they are all Your children, dear God. Raise them up. Let us thank God. We are again grateful to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Amen.

Dear listeners, in the end, Psalm 34, verse 18 says, "The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit." If you are a parent who has raised your children with sighs and lamentations, hoping that they will become someone in the future, God encourages you. God transforms brokenness into hope. He does not overlook the pain of those who cry.

So let us think once more about that morning. What hope does a child have when they go to school? Yes. With hope to learn something, with hope to have a future, with hope to be able to present a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. Therefore, let us not allow hatred to take the place of God's love. Let their message be that children have the right to live, children have the right to learn, they have the right to dream, and they have the right to go to school without fear. This is God's perspective.

Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9, may God bring comfort to families who are grieving, grant security to the children of Afghanistan, and open the hearts of our communities to replace killing and hatred with life in Jesus Christ. They may accept this truth, have faith, read the Gospel, and instead of hatred, they may embrace love, and instead of revenge, they may live in peace and harmony. Amen.

Once again, dear listeners, we hope that you have been blessed by today's programme. Until the next programme, I commit you to the one true God, the God who said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Goodbye, and may God bless you. Music, music, music, music, music, music, music, music.