Consequences

Written: 8/24/05

In last week’s article, I discussed the way we allow our children to dress and how much priority is put on fashion but I don’t feel I stressed it enough.

In the Washington Post’s August 14th Style section, I read a story about a young man, who had been involved in some illegal activities but was turning his life around. The unfortunate thing is the young man who was just realizing the difference and respect that hard work could garner, lost his life behind a jacket, a jacket which cost $349 and not by way of a legitimate purchase but via the ways of the street. The interesting thing is that this jacket is not a norm of the ‘hood like Timberlands and Nike’s; this jacket is something diehard athletes usually purchase and I don’t mean ball players. That means that someone in a video had this on and everyone wanted to “be”. What are we teaching our children? Worse, yet, what is it that we’re not teaching them? When children are so willing to follow what someone else is doing shows a weak mind. And when parents are willing to buy items so that their child is keeping up with everyone, shows what is wrong not only with society but with our children.

The only values children are learning are the value and the power of money; the value and power of violence. Spiritual teachings are not on the forefront of our lives and we are paying the price for the greed permeating every aspect of our society. Adults will boycott their jobs for more money even when they’re making a decent living. When is enough going to be enough? We have people in both secular and spiritual arenas owning more than one house when we have homelessness in this land yet we brag of our democracy; something is truly wrong with this picture. In this country we as adults, irregardless of our status in society, teach and show the children by being the foul-mouthed, unforgiving, selfish and racist adults that we are. We point out the flaws in other people, gender, races, ethnicity and nations; how dare we?!!!

What goes around, comes around is an adage but the Bibles says, “GOD will not be mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that will he reap, {Galatians 6:7}”. And of course, we all know the GOLDEN RULE, “Do unto others as you would want them to do to you”. That scripture is not just addressing individuals but nations as well. In this country, there is so much hatred towards each other and towards those who are different from us and towards those in other countries. We ARE reaping the consequences of our attitudes, our policies, and our alleged superiority. As imperfect as I am, I know that my HEAVENLY FATHER loves me but how I treat others also determines whether I reap blessings or not. Some of you may feel that what I’m about to say is unpatriotic but my first allegiance is to JESUS CHRIST, the Cross and not to the flag made by man. I was online a week ago and ran across an article of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The inhumanity of what was done to innocent citizens of Japan really made my head spin. I know that the Japanese started it by bombing Pearl Harbor but why wasn’t an atomic bomb dropped on Hitler and Germany; or Mussolini and Italy? As I read the horrific details, I was reminded of 9/11 but it surpassed 9/11 in many ways because children where killed and maimed; whole families destroyed. They were innocent victims of the choices made by the leader of their nation; as the victims of 9/11 were innocent victims of the choices made by the leaders of this country. This country has committed murders both in this country and abroad and the Bible tells us, “Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder you have become a transgressor of the law, {James 2:11}”. The Bible also says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of GOD, {James 1:20}”. As a country of alleged Christians, we have done EVERYTHING wrong.

As parents, as adults we have to know the spiritual truth and acknowledge the physical truth; until we do that, we cannot bemoan the actions of the youths. For we are no more than "the blind leading the blind" and for that, there will be consequences.