Excusing Lawlessness

"oh! no! not my kids!"

There was a bit of action in my little community tonight. I was sitting at my computer when my wife alerted me that there were a group of kids committing vandalism in the park which is right behind our house. I immediately put my shoes on and walked to the park to investigate.

Sure enough, a group of five boys were smashing up someone's bicycle with cement bricks. When they saw me, they ran off on their bicycles, but I managed to catch up to one of them. I slowed him down by putting my hand on his shoulder and then I stood right in front of his bike, to keep him from getting away. The boy pleaded with me to let him go but I gave him only two options:

1- he walked me to his house so I could explain to his parents what had transpired, or...

2- I would have my wife call the police.

The boy wouldn't have anything to do with either option and after doing my best to stay in his way, he managed to run off. I was disappointed that I had let him slip away, but I knew that if I had been more forceful, I could have gotten myself into trouble (the boy would only have had to yell, and people would have seen a 30 year old man bothering a teenager... not exactly the image I wanted to project).

About 20 minutes later, the boys are back, and this time, they are back with their mothers.

"How dare you put your hands on my boy!" she exclaimed.

"Miss, don't be so foolish," I calmly replied. "I caught these boys vandalizing someone's bicycle and when I caught them, they bolted. The only "hand" I put on your boy was to keep him from escaping with the others."

The woman obstinately argued that I was in the wrong for touching her son. The boys then started to milk this angle by declaring that I had punched the lad, or squeezed him hard. I doubt the foolish woman was buying it, but she still refused to give me reason.

"Miss, don't do this," I began. "If you let your boy of the hook for this, you'll make excuses for his behaviour for years to come. Drugs, theft, you name it... you'll excuse all of it. You are NOT doing your son any favours."

"Oh! no!" she said. "My son is a good kid. He would never do anything bad."

I made it clear to her that I had witnesses who had seen the whole thing go down, and at that point, she got a nervous look on her face. She rounded up the group and commanded them to head home.

"What will I tell the owner of the bicycle, Miss?" I inquired.

She wouldn't answer, nor would she tell me where she lived. Like her son, she was trying to get away with wickedness. I watched them walk away, and made sure to know where they lived. I didn't want to follow them too far (I wanted to keep myself safe), so I didn't go all the way to their front door. I do know the street they live on though, so if the victim needs information, I have some.

When everything was said and done, I must say, I felt a great sadness. No wonder we have such an undisciplined generation, children are no longer disciplined! Those boys tonight will get ZERO punishment for their crime, and that will only embolden them to do more wickedness in the future.

I guess this is reason # 3,287,587,243,570 why I can't wait for the Kingdom of God!


"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." (Proverbs 29:15)


Rand