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The Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman
Our program in Washington Heights, El Nido (The Nest), has begun well. We’ve attracted a fast-growing roster of young mothers with children 0-3 years of age, and our Reading Corner project has generated a lot of interest for stimulating literacy.
A couple of months ago a mother asked the program’s director, Monika Guzman-Estrada if she could arrive early so her baby could spend time crawling on the carpeted space we refurbished. After speaking with her for a bit, Monika realized that there was an immediate need for another ancillary program—providing time for mothers to come with their infants so they could have physical space to explore.
Here’s the stark truth: people in poverty live in very close quarters, and many infants have no clean and open space in which to simply crawl around. Space is a great luxury in the city, all the more so for families in poverty. So we created an opportunity for mothers to come with their babies to play and explore in a safe and warm environment, finding personal and spiritual support and encouragement.
“Like a child love would send to reveal and to mend, like a child and a friend Jesus comes.” The man Bethlehem’s child will grow into will tell his friends, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did to one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt. 25:40). And I’m thinking we have a very tangible opportunity to make room for Jesus himself. Imagine that…
Prayer: Welcome Lord Jesus!
Rev. Dr. Stephen P. Bauman is the Senior Minister at Christ Church.