Bishop Rubin is at the mic today. Don't forget to check out Bishop Rubin's website of daily inspirations, www.morningreflections.org.
Yesterday I led a discussion regarding “gang violence” with a number of mature college students at the Brookdale campus in Asbury Park, New Jersey. This small community, located near the Jersey Shore, has tasted the tragic results of gang violence again and again. It is a topic of great importance to those that reside there. Endeavoring to understand why young people align themselves to gangs and participate in violent acts, we came up with many valid reasons: a need for approval, seeking for love, a fear of repercussions. All excellent observations but I'm not sure that we got down to the root cause.
I refer you to a passage of scripture recorded in Psalm 11. Verse 3 states, “ If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Our foundations have been destroyed. Our communities are no longer places where children are brought up in church, or where Godly values are instilled into their spirit. Values such as family, respect for others, integrity are not instilled into our children and the results are tragic. We now not only have youth searching to belong finding love in gangs but there are no constraints on their behavior. Violence is not only tolerated, but is an accepted lifestyle.
What can the righteous do? Unless we return to the foundations of God and Godly values, there is no success on the horizon. I suggest the need to reach out to the youth, especially the young parents, providing them with Godly love and assistance in developing strong families and healthy values. We must provide alternatives to a lifestyle of violence. A generation awaits and we cannot ignore their cries for help. We must return to the “foundations”.
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6 comments:
This is so true. The generation of the 50's, 60's & 70's grew up saying my children are not going to suffer the way I did and I am going to buy them what they want and more or less felt that material things was what it took because they didn't have it but instead taught their children about materialism, it's all about me and my needs and fell away from the foundation. In those days materially we didn't have a lot but we did have family ties, commitment, we found ways to have fun and fellowship without becoming gangs. We had the foundation of what family and love is and why we should love the Lord and give thanks even for the little things. Materialism has destroyed our foundation. Being taught and having christian values and reverencing the Lord and his house is not taught the way it was; thus causing respect the his house and the men and women of God not to be as strong as is should be among our young.
There are those that have taught, given their lives for the foundation and some that still do teach but are minorities. As loud as their voices are they are still going unheard but still we must continue to teach because there is some that are begging for this wants this and just need to here and find the foundation we once had and is still around but just needs to be strengthened, brought to the forefront and reinforced....The Lord, family, committment, loving oneself, and having self-respect, respect for others and so much more. This is an awesome subject and can cover a multitude of things.
anonymous said "In those days materially we didn't have a lot but we did have family ties, commitment, we found ways to have fun and fellowship without becoming gangs. We had the foundation of what family and love is and why we should love the Lord and give thanks even for the little things. Materialism has destroyed our foundation. Being taught and having christian values and reverencing the Lord and his house is not taught the way it was; thus causing respect the his house and the men and women of God not to be as strong as is should be among our young."
Amen to that. I give in to some material things, however I believe in working and earning. Even my 4 year old has chores she can do. A fantastic report card - benefits you, not me. Every opportunity I see that I can use as a lesson learned I take advantage of it. I thank the Lord they are starting to see that their paychecks don't go far especially when the only bill they are responsible for is their own cell phone.
Fila says...
The world is a cery different place right now. I agree with all that is said and done. We as people has forgotten where we came from and others don't even know where we going. The path to righteousness is through the Lord. We as adults must relate to the youth and help them grow instead of ignoring the problem. We are quick to judge, but what are we doing to help. It all starts in the home. If you can't take care of home, your kids fell their not people loved then they will go somewhere else for attention. We need to clean up our mess, and take care of the problem. God is Love. Think about it.
The foundation lies with parents. Parents are more intuned to fulfilling their own needs than in helping their children grow and develop into caring and productive members of society. The children of parents what are members of chruches fare no better. It appears that children and teenagers are left to the raise themselves without parental guidance. Parents take little notice of what their children and teenagers are doing, whether they are with them or not. Children sit during chruch service and play with their toys; teenagers get up and walk about the chruch or out of the chruch at liberty. This leaves me to believe that, not only do the parents not reverence God, but is bringing not their children in the same manner.The nature of man is sinful, therefore, unless children are taught and have models for christian living, sin abounds.
I may need to play the devils advocate here for a while.
comments are being made to advocate that it is totally the parents responsiblity to adhere to certain rules of society as to how a child should be, or should not be raised.
People have to realize that parents are people too, and many parents are good parents.
How often do u see children, who are raised by God fearing parents, turn the other way and take the wrong path?
Is it just the parent that is solely to blame for the child's need to turn to gangs or is the child at any point to be held responsible for his or her actions?
Has anyone ever heard the term, intrinsic motivation? Well...
if you havent, then its time to look it up.
How many of us, as kids, had alcoholic parents, and or abusive parents, but turned out well in life.
How many of us, had middle class parents, went to the best schools that money could buy, but still used drugs, and did things that we shouldnt do?
You know, parenting by itself is a double edged sword. No child came with a book entitled "How to raise and or produce the best child in the world."
If they did, there would be many a perfect child, with a whole lot less jails to put them in.
Peace!
The scripture says it all, I've never thought of the cause being the destruction of the foundation of family unity and accountability but your comments are true. Hezekiah's cousin....
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