Devils and Saints: Parents?

Murderers and doctors, terrorists and peace crusaders, robbers and philanthropists, corrupt and honest leaders, 'devils' and 'saints'. What do they have in common? You think, well, they all have (red) blood, they breath oxygen, they eat (something), they definitely have heads. Ok. I get it. Let me rephrase my question: What do they have in common that is so different?

I have a very simple answer. PARENTS. They all have parents. You ask, what about those orphaned when they were babies? I say, they too have parents. WE ALL HAVE PARENTS! Biological or otherwise. We find parents everywhere. So, it is possible to have a parent younger than you! It is possible to have a parent who does not know you! And it is possible to have non-human parents. That's a topic for another day. Let's get back to my issue today.

When I look around the world (modern and ancient), I can't help but wonder where all the vibrancy and energy that drives the world comes from. I don't mean the sun. Ok?

Why is today's world in a such a mess: terrorism, corruption, negative ethnicity & racism, inhumanity, hate! It is because it is run by people: good and bad. But the bad definitely seem to have their share of success. And I think if we have to salvage our human race, all parents must come back to their work stations and perform their duties and responsibilities.

There is a simple yet profound advice:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

There is a Swahili saying that mtoto umleavyo ndivyo akuavyo (A child grows in the manner it is nurtured). This mirrors the wisdom in Proverbs 22:6 (above). There is wisdom in training a child in the way he should go. If you do this well, he will grow into a responsible person, that is if that is what you wanted. All these good and bad guys were all once in diapers. They learnt the language they speak today from the people I am calling parents. Yet they turned out differently. I am not saying that the upbringing from the biological (or foster) parents is the only determinant in how a child turns out to be. But it is a key determinant. See, 'he will not depart' from how he has been 'trained up'. And this is always true. When the bad parents train, it remains and we're screwed. When good parents triumph in this training, it remains and we're good. When the biological parents fail, the world takes over. Something expressed in the saying 'asiyefunzwa na mamaye hufunzwa na ulimwengu' (S/He who is not taught by the mother is taught by the world). So, whichever way, the training takes place.

It is unfortunate that most of the 'good' parents have decided to give their responsibilities to children and bad parents. We have let 'children' decide what they want. Untrained, yet we give them the responsibility to run 'their lives'. In the modern world, we have lacked sense of what is good or bad, moral or immoral. Yes, because everyone has a right. Parents do not admonish their children anymore. They have rights (to think for themselves and do whatever the hell they damn please). Parents. And all of us play this role all the time. We fail when we cannot talk to our friend who is making a decision we think (or know) is bad for them simply because it is their lives. We fail when we do not show a good example to the people around us. We fail in our 'parental' role when we pay bribes, when we fail to rebuke evil, when we fail to admonish. We fail when we lack standards, and allow everything to be right.

Yes, parents (and all of us have and are these) have messed up the world. Let's change this. Let's train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. And I say thanks to all those who have played this role in my life: family, friends, colleagues, mentors and sometimes, total strangers. Be a good 'parent' today.

This article first appeared on my new blog "Abundant Life". Follow me on: https://munenebrown.blogspot.co.uk/