Lectionary Links (NL): March 1, 2020
Year 2: March 1, 2020
Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson
(Written for ages 3-5)
Comment: Throughout this season of Lent, the texts in the Narrative Lectionary lead us to reflect on the practice of gratitude. The past few weeks have touched on many aspects of “following the rules.” This week, Jesus explains that a faithful life isn’t just about following the rules, but about having a grateful heart and not clinging so tightly to the things we have. The rich man in the story goes away shocked and grieving when he hears the cost of discipleship. Hudson’s book is a very concrete illustration about how the things we hoard can actually harm us. A rabbit is collecting carrots – so many that he can’t fit into his burrow anymore! He seeks shelter with a turtle, bird, rabbit, and beaver, but all their homes are destroyed by the carrots he insists on bringing with him. In the end, he realizes he needs to share his carrots and that they can be used to make food that will nourish all of them. Our life shouldn’t be about accumulating things (in fact, the more things we have, the more difficult it is to follow Jesus). Instead, we can encourage children to be grateful for the important people in their lives and find ways to be generous with what they do have.
Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumnus Joshua Andrzejewski for writing the Year 2 Narrative Lectionary Links.
Lectionary Links (NL): March 1, 2020 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.