Reaping what we have sown

Dennis Prager is a radio host and college professor of the Old Testament. He is a continual breathe of fresh air concerning the influence or lack of influence concerning Judeo-Christian values. With his wisdom, he can put his finger on an issue and lay it open for all to see and understand.

While I am having a lunch break at work, I listen to him on a Twin Cities radio station and enjoy his program. This week he addressed the lack of manners, common sense and the excess of arrogance in many people.

Mr. Prager’s take is this, in the past people were taught by Mom and Dad, grandpa and grandma and the church or synagogue, to deal with our personal issues first. Lying, cheating and lack of self-control was taught by the parents and the churches. The school then backed up the parents by teaching the same, addressing personal flaws, working hard to develop positive traits. And the parents supported the school’s rules. Everyone was pretty much on the same page.

The schools started to change; rather than address personal issues, the school started to teach us how to be good citizens, to address issues rather than character flaws. They taught our children to combat racism, be good environmentalists, or whatever the issue was, but seldom addressed our own personal “shortcomings”, “flaws”, or “sin” (a very old fashioned tongue-in-check concept). Yes, we are flawed; we need to deal with ourselves before we can be taught to be a “good” whatever.

On top of this program, we started the “positive self-esteem” movement. Coupled with the lack of addressing our personal faults, we now have people who see nothing wrong with themselves but see the world through “issues” which need to be dealt with and addressed. And I’m ok just as I am. If there is a problem, it’s not me; it’s someone else or other groups of people who do not have as high an opinion of me as I do.

Why harp on this? I see and deal with the results of this every day. This week we had a woman who came to the building to perform some environmental testing for the proposed renovation of the building. The common practice is for these people to park on the street. There is room to park on the street but you must feed quarters in the parking meter. She decided she wasn’t going to park on the street. She pulled in unannounced, parked in someone else’s reserved spot, left her GPS on her dash (a sure reason to have her car broken into) and pranced in like a spoiled six year old at a beauty pageant. When I addressed the situation, it was somehow my fault. She didn’t have quarters to feed the meter. Concerning her GPS, I was not going to tell her what to do…well… Totally self-absorbed, arrogant and condescending; obviously, the rules (reserved parking) are not meant for her. I can’t condemn her; she’s just a product of her teaching and environment—she hasn’t been taught. We complain; I complain, but what did I do to head this off? Nothing; I did nothing. The little princesses (and princes) have grown into adults and it is not pretty.

As Christians, once again we shirked our duty. We did not train the next generation to leave a legacy of being a good, honest and upright people. We are self-absorbed and we won’t discuss or think about it much less address issues of self-discipline and self-control. The pulpits have been and remain quiet on this subject.

Ephesians 6:4 says,  "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

God forgive us. Amen.