After reading...

“Salvation” by Langston Hughes

In this essay, the author recalls his experiences as a child at a

revival. He and other children were brought before by the adults,
and soon their desperate prayers for the salvation of the children
began. Some of the children expressed their salvation by rising up
one by one, and finally, even the remaining child rose from his seat
pretending to have been saved falsely, but Langston could not easily
do so. This shows that he is a pure and honest young child who
cannot easily lie. He prayed desperately for Jesus to come inside
him, but nothing happened. How nervous, painful, and frightening
must have been the heart of a young boy surrounded by adults who
prayed hotter and hotter. Eventually, he could no longer endure it
and stood up. Then a great deal of joy rides and flows among the
adults. Returning home, he cried a lot in bed. He couldn't bear the
guilt that he had deceived all the adults in the church.
Reading this short essay, I lamented that adults were depriving
children of their purity. Unlike the boy who left his seat lying easily,
the author squeezed out every effort to meet the moments demanded
by adults. In the end, of course, he deceived the adults, but
struggled with the guilt. What a pure and tender-hearted child.
Perhaps if the adults had raised and taken good care of him with
love and patience and sometimes had gone to church together, this
innocent child might have surely met Jesus one day. But the
impatience and compulsion of the adults drove this child into a
corner, and eventually made him leave the church altogether.
Is this really something that can happen in a specific religion?
Aren't we adults endlessly demanding and urging children to do what
they think is right and giving them a hard time? Even if they make
children fit the purpose of adults, will they be able to enjoy
happiness? If we love children, we have to change the way we love
them. Rash behavior should not destroy children's purity and
vulnerable personality.