Life Lessons

Recently, a Prior Lake father made national headlines with this plea to a bullying family to cease sending racial slurs and inappropriate pictures and images via Snapchat to his African-American adopted daughter.

Recently, the father of the twin boys that made those inflammatory and racial comments has since checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol addiction and his family has since issued a public apology (apology letter here).

So what is the Christian response to this event?

Certainly the easy thing to do would be to condemn the man and his children for their actions.  In this day and age, using racial language and especially certain words (see Benedict Cumberbatch) is something that the mainstream media and public can not tolerate.

What is not being told is that the twin boys have been receiving death threats at school and have since moved out of the state for their own security.  Also, very little has been mentioned regarding the fact that their mother has been in and out of jail, which undoubtedly added to the maliciousness of the offense.

The proper response to this 'tragedy' is that we need to love those boys, work to restore the relationship between them and the daughter (which has already started) and help repair the father and mother to a healthy marriage regardless of the actions of the rest of the world, who's first response would be to gather their torches and pitchforks in a mob-like fashion.

Jesus says this in Luke 6:27-36:

 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Grace & Peace
PLW