Suffer the little children
Terry Hobday shares a personal concern
Then there were brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said: Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19: 13-14 (KJV)
My heart is heavy within me. I have worked with children and young families for nigh on fifty years – first as a specialist teacher of dyslexics and latterly as an environmental therapist. One led to the other.
I noticed, over the years, that my dyslexic youngsters seemed to be accumulating health problems such as asthma, eczema, food allergies, tics and autistic symptoms; and new and hitherto virtually unseen conditions, such as POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, some symptoms of which overlap those of generalised anxiety disorder) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Sreptococcal infections, symptoms of which can include motor and/or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions).
It began little by little, until it is now reaching alarming rates. Our schools are going to be overwhelmed by children with special needs unless something changes very fundamentally.
I do some work in my local primary school and last year’s intake had the highest number ever of children with learning difficulties, language delay and behaviour disorders that the school has ever seen. I am working with some very distressed young people.
How is it that we have come to accept such a high level of chronic illness in the nation’s children? There are, undoubtedly, many heroic efforts to help and support these children but it is insufficient to cope with the growing problem.
The cutbacks in both health and education will affect many of these families disproportionately.
But Jesus turning unto them said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and your children.
Luke 23:28 (KJV)
No matter how adequate the support is, and it isn’t, the main issue for me is: why is this happening and why are we not asking for answers? As an environmental therapist, I am finding high levels of toxicity in the children I work with: aluminium, mercury, and now barium and strontium, along with reactions to the additives in modern foodstuffs. We are living in a veritable ‘toxic soup’ and detoxing small children is an on-going challenge.
Societies that do not care for their children have the promise of a very poor future indeed. I am constantly researching to discover the causes and triggers for these conditions and would be interested to hear the experiences of any Friends who have children or grandchildren and who recognise something that chimes with my experience. This is a very complex issue but one I feel, as a Friend, a real concern to address.
‘Suffer the little children to come to me’ are words that inspire and motivate me to take this concern forward.
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