How on earth can we bring a child into this broken world?

That’s the question that worries me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a father. When I met my wife three years ago, it started to become a reality. The first time we met, I talked about wanting a family. Of course, at the time, she had a boyfriend, so I wasn’t talking about starting a family with her! We were married less than a year later, and knew that we wanted to have our own children soon. Last summer, we got pregnant, and in the next few weeks we’ll welcome our little baby.

So how, then, can I welcome a new life into a world where so much is wrong? I will just refer you to the news if you need evidence that there is plenty wrong with this world of ours. I worry about this. I worry that I’m too broken, too troubled myself to be any sort of parent, protector, or role model to our child. I worry that bad things will happen to my family, to my child.

I don’t pretend to understand why bad things exist or why brokenness is so prevalent. I have no illusions that my child will have a perfect life, nor any illusions that raising a child will be easy or pain-free in its own right. I know there will be tough times, even in the best scenario.

So again, how can I think it’s a good idea to have a child now?

I have hope. That’s how. I have hope and faith that, despite all the evidence of our brokenness, we can do better. We can make a better world for ourselves, for our children, for all humanity. I have seen the good that lies in people, sometimes buried underneath so much brokenness. I’ve seen it in myself. I have faith that my child can grow up in a better world than I have known, and that my child can be a part of making an even better world.

I don’t understand brokenness, but I know that it’s not the end of the story. As my child’s story is about to begin, I know it will include some brokenness. But I believe that brokenness will not be the end of the story.

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Rev. Christian Schmidt

Co-Minister at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, California

The Rev. Christian Schmidt serves as senior co-minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, where he enjoys near-constant great weather and scenic views of the bay. He has also served congregations in Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, and is a member of the UU Church of the Brazos Valley in College Station, Texas.

His passions include sports, the outdoors, and spending time with his kids. He lives in Pinole, Calif., with his wife, the Rev. Kristin Grassel Schmidt, and their four children.

Latest posts by Rev. Christian Schmidt (see all)

• What Matters Most - March 1, 2020
• Bringing a Child into this Broken World - March 1, 2012