If we were having Check In right now the question this week would have been an easy one. Does a parent back their kid no matter what? That is the incendiary way ask it I realize. The other way to ask the question, the way that was in the news all week, is “Can a 15 to 20 year old really be evil? Or is it just the manifestation of terrible parenting?
You know what I’m talking about. 4 Chicago youths torture a special needs boy. It’s horrible. It is disturbing. But it is normal for Chicago. 12 people get shot every day in Chicago. Since 2001, Chicago has experienced 7,916 murders (as of September 06, 2016). The number of Americans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was 2,384 and 4,504 respectively since 2001.
Good Lord… Chicago is literally the most dangerous place (for Americans) in the world.
I don’t know the cause of the Chicago problem and I don’t really even want to hear your view of the problem or solution. What I am trying to figure out is … What if that was my kid doing the beating the torturing? Would I be the Columbine shooters parents and go down the … “I had no idea. He is a good boy” path? Would I be blind “No matter what you say my boy didn’t do anything wrong” parent? Or would I be the “Son did you do it? Then you need to go pay for what you have done” parent?
God forbid I ever have to answer for a truly hanus act of any loved one of mine but I wonder since my brain went down this dark path today… what does God, the Bible, or Jesus have to say about terrible situation where you progeny have deeply and irreparably harmed others?
I am guess this answer is going to have a lot of… 70 times 70… remove your own log… narrow is the path… statements in it.
I wish we were meeting in a couple of days to kicks this one around? Until we do… keep asking the big questions and praying for the small answers.
TD
If I understood everything correctly you have two key questions in your post:
1) What would you (yourself) do if your kid did something terrible?
2) What does Jesus/Bible say about how parents should respond to children committing “bad” sins?
The first one – only you could answer. The second – we need someone with deep biblical knowledge. Yes, the story of the Prodigal son comes to mind, but it lacks graphic details that may be found in the Old Testament (I don’t know).
And as you attempt (I assume – you will attempt to answer the first or both question in the subsequent blog posts) to answer the first question – I would like to challenge you along the following threads:
1) Elaborate on what you would vs what you should do should you find yourself in that situation and if there is or should be the difference between the two?
2) Consider the “spectrum” of sin/crime – from momentarily impaired judgement on one side to premeditated evil on the other side – where if at all – does the line in the difference of parental response may lie?