In the spirit of the title of the blog, we echo a report this past week that was "in the news"....
A sheriff's deputy was dispatched last week to a Florida elementary school after a girl kissed a boy during a physical education class. School officials actually reported the impromptu kiss as a possible sex crime, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The assistant principal of Orange River Elementary School called the police after a teacher spotted the act on Wednesday at the school. Teacher Margaret Ann Haring, 56, initially called child welfare officials, who directed her to contact the sheriff, according to the report. The kiss apparently occurred after two girls debated over whom the boy liked more. That’s when one of the girls “went over and kissed” the boy. The redacted sheriff’s report notes that Haring “stated there were no new allegations of sexual abuse as far as she knew.” Deputies do not appear to be further probing the preteen kiss.
By now, I'm considered ancient by most young people. And I can remember that it was not unusual for little girls to try to embarrass little boys by kissing them unexpectedly. Does anyone remember "Sadie Hawkins Day"? Look it up, if you don't.
We've given over the control and charge of our youth to others outside the family. Yes, rapes occur in our world, and it's a terrible thing to even have to address the issue juxtaposed with a report like the one above. Excluding those acts of truly physical attack, I know of only one time that a kiss has been foul - the one that was given by Judas to our Lord.
When did we stop being parents? When did we abdicate our ability to discipline our children, either in or out of the school, without fear of reprisal from police? Yes, again, I know that there are instances when parents go too far, and we never want to condone those acts. But people go too far in many of life's pursuits, and we hold the aberrant behavior in contempt while holding the righteous up to praise.
"Praising child abuse, Father?" No - NEVER! But can we not find the place as responsible parents to not spare the rod and thereby spoil the child? Can we not find a place in our world for God's word to be employed as He intended? "Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness...." (Ps 141:5) "Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge..." (Prov 19:25)
As a parent, we should applaud righteous chastisement of our youth, and we should reinforce the message with them when the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, all too often parents (and I have adult children who are teachers, so the following is not opinion as much as survey) blame those in authority for being "too hard, singling out only my child instead of others." It's never our children's fault. And, as in most instances, we turn to lawyers and courts to settle what should not even be an issue.
No, this is not an attempt to speak on both sides of an issue. The teacher who reported a simple childish kiss as a crime would have no such opinion even come to mind if it weren't for her being "conditioned" to believe that she has the ultimate moral authority in the life of the child, instead of the parent. And that's the abdication of authority that we must find the way to return to righteous normalcy.
How can we do this? First, pray. Then, clear schedule to spend time with our children - not watching them from afar as they perform in sports or clubs or events, but at their side, being with them. Finally, pray some more.
And if you have time left over afterwards, pray for me..... and 'ancient' child.....
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