Reads the poem "The children" - John Piper

   Do you hear the children crying?  I can hear them every day, crying, sighing, dying, flying, somewhere safe from all dangers, somewhere safe from crack and AIDS, insurance from lust and strangers lurking, insurance from war and bombing.  Somewhere safe from malnutrition, Safe from daddy's damning voice, Safe from mommy's cold ambition, Safe from mortal goddess, choose.  Do you hear the children crying?  I can hear them every day, crying, sighing, dying, flying, somewhere safe where they can play.  Do you see the children meeting?  I can see them in heaven, meeting, sitting, eating, greeting Jesus with the answer to why.  Why milk no longer nourishes, why water makes them sick, why crops no longer bloom, why the belly gets so thick.  Why they never knew why their friends disappeared from view, why some suffered for a season, others never saw the light.  Do you see the children meeting?  I can see them in heaven, meeting, sitting, eating, greeting Jesus with the answer to why.  Do you hear the children singing?  I can hear them up there Singing, jumping, playing, bringing glory to the God of love.  Glory for the gift of life, glory for the end of pain, glory for the gift of giving, glory for eternal gain.  Glory of the abandoned, glory of the lost and lonely.  Glory when babies wake up, orphans on their father's throne.  Do you hear the children singing?  I can hear them up there, singing, jumping, playing, bringing glory to the God of love.  Do you see the kids coming?  I can see them in the clouds, coming in, playing, playing drums, humming with the happy crowd of the sky.  Songs with lots of happy clapping, songs that catch fire in the heart, songs that make your foot start playing, songs that make a happy choir.  Songs so high that the mountains tremble, songs so pure that the canyons play, when all the children gather Millions, Millions, around the King. Do you see the children coming?  I can see them in the clouds, coming in, playing, playing drums, humming with the happy crowd of the sky.  Do you see the children waiting?  I can see them all shining, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, who of us will rise and leave?  Shall we turn and fly to find them?  Shall we venture into something new?  I intend to get up and greet them.  Come and go with me, yes?