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Family Life
【Christian
Family】A popular book of a few years ago, Jonathan
Livingston Seagull, extolled the ‘virtues of independence and individuality at any
price. The seagull is a popular subject for photography, and many people who
vacation at the shore end up with some kind of souvenir bearing the picture of
a seagull. It is easy to see why people like this figure. A seagull exults in
freedom. When flying alone, he thrusts his wings back with powerful strokes,
climbs higher and higher, and then swoops down in majestic loops and circles.
In
a flock, though, the seagull is a different bird. His majesty dissolves into
in-fights and cruelty. Concepts of sharing and manners do not seem to exist
among gulls. They are so fiercely competitive and jealous that if you tie a
ribbon around the leg of a gull, making him stand out from the rest, you
sentence him to death. The others in his flock will furiously attack him with
claws and beaks, hammering through feathers and flesh to draw blood. They’ll
continue until he is a bloody heap.
If
we must have a bird as a model for our society, there is certainly a better
choice. Consider the wild goose. The V-formation they use in flying enables
them to fly with more ease and spped. The point position is the most difficult
because of wind resistance, so the geese rotate this position every few
minutes. The easiest flight is experienced in the two rear sections of the
formation, and the stronger geese permit the young, weak, and older birds to
occupy these positions. It is also probable that the constant honking
encourages the weaker geese.
The
seagull reaches us to break loose and fly alone, but the wild goose teaches us
to fly in a “family”. We can fly further with our Christian family than we
could ever fly alone—and, as we fly, our efforts constantly help others in our
family.
【Leadership in
Family】American men received a stinging insult from British
psychologist Dr. Joshua Bierer, who described them as a “bunch of weak-kneed,
lily-livered sissies.” In a previous survey made in 1964, he had judged women
to be at fault and declared American women to be domineering. He explained his
changed viewpoint:
Before,
I thought that the women wanted to rule the country. I changed that opinion.
Women are compelled to take over, not fighting to take over. I thought the men
who attended with their wives some seminars I spoke at would shoot me for my
remarks—but instead they all agreed with me. It’s still the fatherless society.
The husbands are not husbands. All the women are crying out for a strong man
and he’s just not there.
【Spiritual
Decline of Family】To our forefathers, our faith was an
experience.
To
our fathers, our faith was an inheritance.
To
us, our faith is a convenience.
To
our children, our faith is a nuisance.
【Family Trouble】Students involved in a research project at the University of Illinois
called 2000 homes at random between midnight and