Parenting has changed dramatically. When I was growing up, I knew a family where the mother was always pushing her children to do better. “You got a 95% on that exam. How come you didn’t get 100%.” As adults her children resented her but she merely shrugged. “You seem to have come out OK.” And they had. All her children were very successful. For today’s parents affirming their children for every little thing seems the order of the day. “You picked up your toy. Good job.” While you appreciate the importance of affirmation there is also a need for correction. For Christians that means we must own up that we haven’t always done a good job. St. Paul sees this as a necessary starting point. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. This is not only true on the personal level but on the macro level as well. The Church must accept its sinfulness in handling abuse for any conversion to occur. The nation must acknowledge our history of slavery and racism for any improvement to happen, Doing an “honest moral inventory” is a necessary step to health and wholeness.
