The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 11.6, NRSV
His name is Gabriel. He’s 3 ½ years old. He was baptised at Fernie Knox United Church in June 2022. His Mum brought him to Church regularly and every Sunday before Worship there would be a wee fashion parade, where he would greet his public. So many cute outfits!
We were at a place in our Shared Ministry journey where we would rotate between Fernie Knox United Church and Christ Church Anglican. He came to know both Worship spaces. And he came to know his parish family.
He has piercing blue eyes and looks just like his Mum. He also has an incredibly kind heart. Gabriel’s mum got a job that meant she worked most weekends and we didn’t get to see much of him for a year or so. Then on Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, he was walking past Fernie Shared Ministry and wanted to come in.
He remembered the Church…he’d been here before. So they came in and up the stairs where I was laying out symbols for Good Friday. “Hi” he said, with a wave.
“Hi!” I said…unable to recall his name.
His grandmother re-introduced me and I said “Gabriel! Do you remember me?”
“Yes”, he replied wryly, “You got me wet”.
It’s true. When a child is baptised, they get three full handfuls of water over their head. He was 10 months old when he was baptised…he remembered being wet.
He headed to the front of the Church to check out the toys, and chose a book, “Jesus and the Twelve Dudes Who Did.”
A most excellent read, I highly recommend it.
“When do you have Church?” he asked.
“Every Sunday at 10:00 am,” I replied.
“Are you going to come to Church?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Mummy will bring me.”
As it turns out, his Mum has a new job and has most Sunday’s off. So for the past two Sunday’s he’s been joining us, with his Mum, for Church.
Gabriel is very comfortable in our Worship space. He knows where the toys and books are. He chooses to sit at the back, and when he wants a new toy he knows where they are. He is an active little boy, who certainly knows his mind, and he is fully aware of what is going on when he’s at Church.
This week was the story of “Doubting Thomas.” I talked about how important doubt is, how we need to question those things we may once have taken for granted. Doubt challenges us to examine our faith and may, in fact, bring us to a place of strengthening our faith.
Many members of the Fernie Shared Ministry family know Gabriel and have known his Mum since she was born. Fernie Shared Ministry is filled with honourary grandparents for Gabriel. When he comes into Church he waves and says “Hi” to just about everyone. He gives wonderful hugs.
His Mum told me today that he calls Fernie Shared Ministry “Huggy Church Place.” My heart swelled with pride and my eyes welled with tears. Huggy Church Place.
During coffee hour he “worked the room” going from person to person asking what they were doing this Sunday afternoon. I had a card to be signed for a friend of the Church who is ill.
I asked Gabriel if he could sign his name. “I know my letters” he said. “Could I help you sign your name”, I asked. “Sure!” he replied.
And so, he sat on a chair, well, knelt up on the chair, and he held the pen with his right hand, and I held his hand in my left hand. “G,” he said, then “-A- -B- -R- -I- -E- -L-” he told me as we signed his name. It looks legible and large, both good things.
“Mum needs to sign it too,” he told me, and so I asked her to sign it and she did.
He went to play with some toys and included four ladies in his play and they all played along happily. After a while he decided it was time to go, he wanted to ride his bike, so he went from person to person.
He waved and said, “Bye, see you later” to each person then hugged them. Each in turn. Not a single person refused. Not a single grumble or concern. Simply a little boy, completely at home with his Church family, hugging, waving and checking in on each of us.
I asked if he was going to have a nap later today.
“Yes,” he responded, “Are you?”
“I hope so”, I said.
“Naps are always good,” he said. And he is correct.
His name is Gabriel. And as he left today he waved, and almost every person around the table waved back. “Bye Gabriel.”
And a little child shall lead them. Thank you Gabriel. Amen.
