February 5, 2015

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42

“Parents who are not religious in their character, have reason…seriously to consider what effect they are producing, and likely to produce, in their children. Probably you do not wish them to be irreligious; few parents have the (will) or indiscretion to desire that the fear of G*d, the salutary restraints of religion, should be removed from their children. Go home to your Christless house, look upon them all as they gather round you, and ask it of your love faithfully to say, whether it is well between you? And if no other argument can draw you to G*d, let these dear living arguments come into your soul, and prevail there.”
Horace Bushnell (1802 – 1876) “For All The Saints” volume I

When I was confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Millersburg, there must have been 25 of my classmates from school in my class. I will admit that I often did not see many of them on a Sunday morning, but their parents made it a priority that their children were taught the important aspects of the bible, and the Lutheran faith. Today, it seems many parents do not feel the same obligation upon their hearts. That means that many of our youth today are not being taught anything about religion, about G*d, about faith, and about love of neighbor.

So many religions teach some version of “love your neighbor”. Whether it is Jainism, Taoism, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, or Christianity, loving our neighbor and treating them like we want to be treated is a universal teaching. Without religion, society becomes too consumed with individual wants and needs and loses the communal understanding of “love your neighbor”.

Throughout my years I have watched many parents drop off their children for Sunday School and then either leave for the local coffee shop or return home. But by the time the children reached Confirmation age, they either disappeared, or disappear soon after completing confirmation classes. Children are not just taught “love your neighbor” at church. Truth be told, we either do or don’t live out that same message in our homes – whether we know it or not. Every day we teach our children something about loving our neighbor through the little decisions that we do or don’t make. What will you teach your child today – what will you teach your co-workers and friends today about “love your neighbor”?

Pastor Dave