WHO KIDS CAN TRUST

What does a stranger look like? Lots of kids think strangers are people who dress funny or act creepy. They think all strangers look scary, and that's how you know you shouldn't trust them.

It's sad, but even people who seem nice can be strangers. A stranger may not be a person who looks or acts creepy; a stranger is ANY adult you don't know. It's important not to trust anyone until your parents say it's okay.

In this week's Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12), the three wise men learn about trusting people. King Herod should be someone they can trust; after all, he's a king! But after they trust him and go off to find Jesus, an angel warns them that Herod just wants to kill Jesus. That's not someone you can trust!

Grownups warn kids about strangers all the time to keep you safe. They don't want you to trust someone you don't know just because he says he lost a puppy or has something in his car you should see.

God doesn't even want adults to trust strangers. Herod was a stranger to the wise men, and he could have hurt Jesus if they trusted him. Instead, they did the smart thing: They listened to God, someone they could really trust! And because of that, Jesus was safe and sound.