Written by Bill Cox

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."- Leo Tolstoy from “Anna Karenina”

A couple of recent events crystallized my thoughts on how paramount it is that, as Christians, we practice and champion the nuclear family, God’s building block for healthy, sane civilizations.

The first event I have pondered is the absolute horror show that is the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Massachusetts. Clancy’s guilt or psychological impairment will be decided by juries, judges, and alleged experts. The madness that shocks me to my core is the widespread support and protest marches by pink-clad feminists demanding Clancy’s exoneration.

I think this is the personification of one of C.S. Lewis’ “four loves” in a negative sense, which is the only way it is used in the Bible. The word I refer to is “storge.”  Hence: Storge (pronounced stor-jay) is the ancient Greek word for natural, instinctual affection and familial love, such as the bond between parents and children, siblings, or lifelong family members.

Written by Bill Cox

Mike Rowe is an interesting writer who has carved out a niche for himself observing and commenting on the American working class. Recently, he discussed the phenomenon of the “NILF”, an acronym for “Not in Labor Force.”

         Mr. Rowe was referring to about 7-9 million mostly young, able-bodied, prime-aged American men who are not in the labor force and are not looking for work. An excerpt from the article states:

  Mike Rowe highlights that over 7 million able-bodied prime-age American men are "NILFs"—not in the labor force and not looking for work. He calls this a crisis of both a "skill gap" and a "will gap," pointing to millions of unfilled, high-paying trade jobs while arguing that cultural shifts and diminished motivation keep men on the sidelines

Rowe lists some reasons for the phenomenon:

• The "Will Gap": Rowe argues the issue goes beyond a lack of training; it reflects a cultural erosion of the fundamental desire and personal drive to work.

• Societal Shifts: He points to a mix of changing societal expectations, reliance on safety nets, and modern distractions (like readily accessible digital entertainment) that reduce the traditional drive to build a career or support a family.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter from my book, Divine Wilderness: Discovering God in Difficult Seasons. I hope you find it both encouraging and thought-provoking.

This chapter, "Wilderness Parents," was inspired by the striking contrast between the generation that faithfully circumcised their children while living as slaves in Egypt and the generation that neglected that same responsibility while wandering in the wilderness. It explores the reality that seasons of hardship can either deepen our faithfulness or tempt us to relax our spiritual priorities—and that our choices inevitably shape our children. My prayer is that this chapter encourages parents to remain faithful in teaching, training, and modeling a wholehearted walk with God, even in life's most difficult seasons.

If you enjoy the chapter and would like to read more, Divine Wilderness: Discovering God in Difficult Seasons is available on Amazon.