Today the World’s Mess Showed Up in Our Neighborhood
What a crazy world. My son Seth and daughter Estie were driving home and the entire neighborhood was blocked by police cars, ambulances and firetrucks.
“What’s going on?” Estie asked.
“There’s a gunman. The officers have him barricaded.”
He had fired some shots.
Good grief – this is Gainesville, GA! Uvalde is one thing, but Seth’s neighborhood is mostly old people. These days we can read about the latest crazy gunman daily on the front page (indeed, the story of this showed up online in real time). What is this world coming to?
A lot of us have theories about why things are a mess. It’s the emotional trauma of two years of lockdown. It’s our gun laws. It’s our politicians.
Maybe a better question is, “how do we respond to this?”
My answer is that this mess is a result of families and churches not doing what we’re supposed to do. We people of faith need to raise our kids differently.
What does that look like? It looks like a lot of things that are counter-cultural. This week it looks like a family mission trip. Estie and Seth each have little kids. Like all little kids, they need help navigating the world. The world tends to revolve around them. The result is a different kind of epidemic – an entitlement epidemic.
I’ve been fortunate to look at a number of different cultures and ways of raising children. And let me tell you, kids in America need help. They spend their days staring at their iphones, scrolling through social media. They don’t get disciplined. The consequence is not just entitlement, but often disrespect.
A lot of families have raised their kids in fear of a scary world. But on this mission trip, they get to go into another neighborhood and make friends with children who come from different countries. They get to serve. For this week, they are getting to see what it looks like to minister to others whose needs may be greater than their own.
The five families on this trip take seriously their job of raising kids to follow Jesus. For a week at least, we are seeing the kingdom come. It’s a start. If we want to change the world, let’s start with ourselves.
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I am so grateful to have grown up with your family and your Mom and Dad. My Dad was also a big believer in bringing me along to give food and other items to folks in need. Today, many families just allow the TV or video games to keep their children entertained. Whether it is a mission trip in another part of the world or down the street, teaching children to help others is a learning tool that often seems gets left on the wayside. I was never given the gift of children but, it seems like so many need help. I wish I could do more than serving breakfast to the homeless or working poor. Do you have any ideas? Thanks for all you do.
Shelley – you are a blessing. Tell you what – I would love for you to join us on a family mission trip in the future. Perhaps you could learn how to lead them – they are a wonderful way to impart a kingdom mindset in families.
Hence why Juniper will be going to Uganda in the next year and regularly after that. Kids need perspective, respect, and knowledge.
My neighborhood is the same way but it’s definitely not a country neighborhood like yours. Two drug raids in my front yard. Five murders in my neighborhood. Drug overdoses prostitution and car accidents. My duplex just sold and I’m moving. Hoping to move further away but I still have to drive into the city to go to work at least one day a week which will use a lot of gasoline. Just a crazy world I agree with you Seth. I thank God that nobody was killed. It doesn’t sound like you have anything devastating to report. Praise God for that.
What a world we live in – 5 murders in your neighborhood! I’m glad you’re able to get to a safer place and pray that you keep showing up for Jesus wherever you are.
Pray for the laws on gun control safety to be changed. We can not allow american citizens to own assault weapons.