Last night I was reminded of the harshness of this world. I was asked to intervene in a fight between two first-graders in the back of my friend’s vehicle. These two youngsters were hurling insults (no doubt, obscene language as well) because the one little boy wouldn’t buckle his seat belt. Fists were flying and my friend was distraught. These children know no other way to resolve conflict than to yell, scream and throw fists! That is what they have learned. How different is it from the children in “The Lord of the Flies”? The disturbing thing is, they haven’t been left to try to determine how to live apart from parental guidance. They have learned this behavior from their parents!
As I removed the little boy from my friend’s vehicle to place him in mine, I was hit with the reality of the world he lives in. He expected me to hurt him. He expected me to punish him. He expected me to yell and scream and maybe throw my fists at him. He was so upset, he got sick and he cried most of the way home. My heart was broken for this little boy and for all those youngsters who live in the rough communities in the inner city. It’s a breeding ground for disaster and a place where the “lord of the earth” has been allowed to reign without opposition for too long!!
