“It is crazy how people don't realize how they should take care of their kids”
- Ashanti Dotrey
This should be deafening to us! This quote resounds in my mind days after I heard it.This is from the mouth of a daughter affected by the turmoil of the broken family in black American families today. It is heartbreaking the amount of children that don't have their fathers in their lives and grow up in a single parent household. Not to say that you have a lesser childhood if you grew up in a single parent household because I have aunts that are amazing mothers and did it by themselves but the point is that it shouldn't be like that. Growing up without a dad affects people whether we would like to admit it or not. The family was built to have both a mom and dad for a reason they both bring different things to the table and both instill different things. Black fathers please come back home.
I believe that it starts with people giving their bodies to men and woman that are not their spouse. Sex is meant for the covenant of marriage because outside of the covenant of marriage it leads to destruction and death. Death of the family unit and the unity that families are supposed to be built on. “Families” are being founded on the selfishness of two people simply trying to glorify their fleshly desires and not glorifying God. When anything is founded on pleasing ourselves and not selflessness destruction happens. The family has seen a break down from the time Adam and Eve decided in the garden that they knew more than God, relationships were broken. The hope that we have as humanity is the Cross. Jesus came to reconcile us back to God but ALSO to each other. The Cross can restore the home the Cross can restore wives into submission to their husbands and husbands to love their wives. This is where the family will see revival. Black father please come back home.
On another side of the discussion we have a romanticized view of jail and illegal activity that draws our men away to things that seem shiny but are lackluster. Drugs, alcohol, girls, money, and trapping have become things that are continually rapped about and made to seem like they bring fullness of life in reality they just bring death and decay with a shiny bow on it that seems to satisfy their fickle hearts. We need to stop as a society and especially a black community promoting these messages that tell our young boys that if they can grow up and have all these fruitless things that they have reached success. We willingly bump all these rap songs non stop and spend our rent on seeing these icons and then wonder why I sons grow up with the mentality that these things should be desired and pursued at any cost even if that means that the family I started has to suffer in my absence. Jail has become what young black men expect of their lives. Is it because we unconsciously tell them that it is by what we allow them to be influenced and taught by. If the person I look up to is Kodak Black--- having been to jail multiple times---- that tells me as a young guy that jail is just something that happens in life but you'll be fine because you can still be rich and have girls and be able to satisfy yourself. Again this theme of selfishness. And again we have hope in the Cross. Christ died for these things that we desire more than Him. He died that we can give up these desire that will lead to destruction. Black fathers please come back home.
I am also not ignorant to the justice system and the injustice that flows from the capitol and permeates local precincts. I know that it is all around us. I know that black men are sometimes falsely accused and are sent to jail and away from the family. I also know that black men and slain in the streets. This is not something that I feel the church should turn a blind eye to. My thoughts on this perspective is simply a broken heart for the justice system and how it systematically has ripped black men from their families. The way that we can combat this is to view the Gospel as truth. The gospel not only came to make us right with God but also each other. This being said the way we treat and view people should be filtered through the eyes of God. I should love my brothers and sisters no matter the race. I also believe that as a ecclesia (the church as members not the building) should be fighting for our brothers and sisters. If a social issue plagues one part of society and our brothers and sisters are included in that we need to be just as vigilant with fighting for them as we are fighting for things that personally affect us. Black fathers please come back home.
This is not exhaustive. Of course! This is my take on this topic coming from a home with my father in it but being surrounded by women that have been hurt from this exact topic. And my heart breaking for their hurt and the way they have fight through the scars of their broken families.Black fathers please come back home.
This is my prayer please pray it with me:
Lord please help us. This world is so broken and it starts with ourselves but we know that sin doesn't only affect us but also those around us. Lord I pray that these men not just black men would stand up and be the fathers and husbands that you have called them to be. Lord we know the importance of family and so we want to glorify you by being good stewards of our families help us give us the strength to so this and do it well. Also give us the strength to continue to pray for the men in our lives that don't know you yet and while they don't know you give us the words to speak over them. Lord I pray that we would constantly being speaking the truth in love to them. Show us how to be full of grace and truth that will shine your light through their darkness. Amen
-In His Marvelous Grace Sincerely
Faith
