I wonder what Jesus would think if he looked at the world today? I have read in the last few weeks of 3 instances of spouses killing their partners and the children. We have heard in the news of a man who killed a 17year old boy who was walking to the home where he was staying. We read of young girls being shot for no reason. We read of men who were laid off or fired returning to their place of work and shooting their supervisor and any one else they could before killing themselves. We also saw in the news that a police chief days from retirement, was killed and other officers wounded when they went into a house for a drug arrest.
I know that these things have gone on before. But I ask are people more prone to violence now than 10-20 years ago, or is it more publicized? May I offer the opinion that people today are more insensitive to human life than they used to be.That people who kill other people do not have the remorse you used to see in those who took another life. I see that so many more people are self-absorbed. They have a me first attitude now more than ever.
If that is all true, Why? What are the factors that make people so insensitive to others and to the consequences of their actions? Obviously my take on this is that our society is becoming a society where morals and responsibility are character traits that are not valued. Where can we begin to develop character and responsibility? First in the home ..Parents who demonstrate good citizenship, responsibility, self reliance honesty, will have a positive influence on their children’s lives.
It is like the father tells his son not to lie. The next day the dad decides not to go to work. The phone rings and the son goes to answer it. The dad tells him “if it is my boss tell him I am not here.’ What impression is that on the child? Parents can demonstrate good citizenship when they see that their children go to school, do their homework and do what they are told. I was at my children’s school many years ago. I was in the nurses office (she did phyiscal exams for my clients), talking about an upcoming appointment. A young man came into the office saying that he was sick. The nurse examined him, took his temperature and had him lay down so she could observe him for a little while. After 15-20 minutes when it was clear that he was in no shape to go back to class, she called his mother to come take him home. The mothers answer was “this is school time and he is your responsibility” I was stunned. Here was a mother that didn’t have time to pick up her sick kid. What kind of attitude do you think that boy is going to have as he grows up with that example of love and concern.
Elton Trublood the Quaker Theoogian, writes in his book A Place to Stand, “what we desperately need is the literature of witness in which men who have reached a firm place to stand, are able to tell us the road by which they have come and why it was taken” Dr.Trublood takes the tack that we have something on our hands much more serious than we have ordinarily supposed. “Failure to honor particular moral standards is one thing, rejecting the very idea of a moral standard is another” Even though Dr.Trublood wrote these words many years ago, he certainly touches on a symptom of what is wrong with todays society that has come to a point of not honoring moral standards but not even having them.
Our next and I think the most important positive influence we can have on those we come in contact with, is by our actions as Christians. If people see us being kind, considerate helpful and caring, maybe they will want to emulate our behavior. A while ago I read in China, when a person joins the church, and commits their life to Christ, the change in them is so great that friends and neighbors ask what is different about them. The new Christian then explains their new found relationship with Jesus Christ. What a tool of evangelism –the way we act toward other people.!
We cannot bemoan and just look away what we see in human relationships today. We are called as Parents, educators, leaders to be the kind of persons that those around us want to be like.. if we show that example , if we promote people that have those positive characteristics ,if we encourage our children, friends and neighbors to be better citizens, then we may make a difference that will eventually be felt throughout our nation. Amen
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