KBC Ohiri – We blame our children for untoward transvestism and yet we take no serious action to correct them.  Very soon, the culture of transvestism will filter into the church as most of us parents old and young admire them to the extent of becoming guilty of it.

Fellow parents, let us tell ourselves the unalloyed truth.  From the one single example and the battery of questions above, do we need a prophet to still tell us that most of us parents directly or indirectly have a stake in most of the negative lifestyles of the youths today?  The bible says that “THE SON CANNOT DO ANYTHING ON HIS OWN, HE DOES ONLY WHAT HE SEES HIS FATHER DOING FOR WHAT THE FATHER DOES, THE SON DOES ALSO” (Jn 5:19).   This Igbo proverb complements the above scripture thus “NNE EWU NA-ATA ACHARA, NWA YA ANA-ELE YA ANYA N’ONU”, which rendered in English imports “as the she-goat eats grass, its offspring watches its mouth with attention”.

From the above analysis, it behooves on us to know as parents that any child or youth that copies any unethical act or behavior from you as a parent, whether that child or youth is your biological one or not; perhaps your pupil/student in the school, your trainee or apprentice, your maid in the house or whatever that child is in your hand at that material time, you are responsible for that child’s/youth’s deviant behavior and that of his peers who will copy that negative trait directly from him.

This explains the reason why many children/youth never acquired the negative and indecorous traits or lifestyles they possess directly from their biological parents taking stock of what the bible says “Evil communication corrupts good manners” (1 Cor 15:33).  Today, uncensored video and TV programmes are part of this evil communication that corrupt our children.  Their unbridled use in the family has done more harm than good to our children and the society.

Having learnt of the above assertions, what are we to do to salvage the society from more serious threats on our lives and properties by our own children/youths?  If however there is any measure to be taken to nip in the bud further destruction of lives and properties in the society, it must start from the home/family.  God entrusted the welfare of the family into our hands as parents.  Let us therefore with humility take serious God’s injunction to us in Prov 22:6.  Every hand must be on deck to carry out this divine mandate irrespective of whose child is involved since the negative effect of a child’s action in the society spreads like wild fire among his peers.  Let us not feel that an erring child who is not our biological one does not concern us.  His negative life as a cultist or an armed robber etc., must one day concern us.  We are already seeing and feeling it.

We should stop being rashly judgmental and casting aspersions on the youths and their aberrations.  While we apply Saint Monica’s method of converting her son Augustine through prayers, let us exercise a little sober reflection and make necessary corrections on our own lives as parents by living edifying lives before our children/youths, biological or not, provided you are a parent or old enough to be a parent.

The various Christian churches and church organizations should organize retreats, spiritual workshops and prayers for all parents during this holy season of lent.  This will help to appease God’s anger on us for the innocent souls that were killed and valuable properties destroyed by our untutored and malformed irate youths.

Government should create more jobs for the youths graduating from schools every year.  Workers who are due to retire should trust God for their daily bread and retire to create chance for young school leavers.  People who should have retired since are still rigmaroling in the service thus blocking the chances of energetic school leavers who are today frustrated into moral-cum-social deviants.

Finally, as in the past, we should with one voice criticize and condemn any unethical behavior or act we see around us and immediately discipline whoever that is involved, parent or youth as a deterrent to others.  Unless we apply the discipline of lent and do these things, a more cataclysmic youthful exuberance and horrendous aberrations await us in the nearest future.  God forbid.  May God bless us as we endeavor to make amend.

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