There is no doubt that family life is
under tremendous pressure in our day and age; and living in Jozi
makes family life that much more difficult. I am not exactly sure why your
family lives in Jozi;
perhaps you relocated here from elsewhere in South Africa, or from other parts
of Africa, however, one thing is certain; living in the great city of Jozi
will impact the way you live as a family, and the way you live out your faith
commitment. With the rapid rate of urbanization globally, families are becoming
smaller, more nuclear and more isolated that ever before; leaving many people
without the wider support network they may have grown up with in their
childhood- this trend will continue into the future, and as Christian parents
and families, we will need to be far more intentional about establishing strong
Christian values and leaving our children a legacy of spiritual worth in a
world obsessed with material success.
Renowned Atheist, Richard Dawkins, in his
book, ‘The God Delusion’ states: “There is no such thing as a Christian
child: only a child of Christian parents”. This statement in itself, set
against the obvious backdrop of his claims, highlight the importance of what
Deuteronomy 6: 4f speaks of in relation to fostering a spiritual legacy within
our families that is transmitted inter-generationally. God cares about
generations; even the generation yet unborn- and as parents, and grandparents,
our primary concern need to be rooted in the spiritual legacy will create for
our children.
As a parent, I know that it can be
disturbing to realize that our children often mirror the way we speak and act;
our lives impress upon our children and they in many ways emulate who we are,
and how we act in situations. For this reason, it is important for parents to
heed the words of the Shema
in Deuteronomy 6: 4- 9:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord
our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I
give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you
lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind
them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and
on your gates.
- Dr Desmond Henry
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