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April 2005
from the editor...
Little Girl, Get Up
 The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, includes the wonderful story of Jesus healing the 12-year old daughter of a synagogue leader. He does three things: He takes the girl's hand; he speaks to her saying, "Talitha cum," which means "Little girl, get up"; and he tells those around her to give her something to eat.
When I read this story, I think of several young women I've watched struggle with eating disorders. As they sought to make the transition from childhood to adulthood, they felt lost. The one thing they could control was what they ate, so they chose to either starve themselves or purge their bodies of what they did eat. They became too thin, lost hair, stopped their bodies' maturation process and had no energy for life. They went from outgoing girls with lots of friends to spending most of their time alone behind closed doors.
The story that begins in Mark 5:22-24 and concludes in Mark 5:35-43, offers us a biblical model of how to respond to young women fighting anorexia, bulimia, self-mutilation and other ways of acting out the confusion and pain they face.
This story is just one of many in the Bible about children that can give us handles on how we are to live and how we are to be present to children. In Jesus' time, too many children were orphaned, hungry, unschooled. Too many were forced to work alongside adults. Children were seen as property and given no voice.
Jesus brought a new word about children. He told us to model our lives to become humble as children. He welcomed them and he listened to them. As a child, he went to the temple to teach.
This issue of Response looks at what it means to welcome today's children. As in biblical times, too many children today are missing childhood. Too many die too young. Too many go to bed hungry. Too many are silenced.
United Methodist Women has since its beginnings been committed to mission with children and advocacy on their behalf. Even as this month's writers look at the challenges children face, they share stories of how United Methodist Women is reaching out to children.
We hope you will find this issue valuable as you engage the 2005-2006 spiritual-growth study on "Children of the Bible."
Let us hear from you.
Dana E. Jones, Editor. djones@gbgm-umc.org
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