It is nearly impossible today to turn on the TV or to open a social media app without being bombarded by racial tension. Cops are shooting people, athletes are kneeling and tweeting, and rioters are destroying their own cities. It would be an understatement to say that our current situation is unsustainable.
Conversations regarding racial issues always seem to gravitate towards blame. Whose fault is it? Upon whom can we place the blame for the current state of our society? Who should make reparations for past sins that have led us to this point? White men? Black men? Fascists? Marxists? Western Civilization? Colonialists? The Patriarchy? A number of options have been proffered, but, of course, there is no individual group or cause that is responsible for the economic and social unrest that plagues our nation. It is a complex problem with a variety of causes, the chief of which is simply human depravity.
One factor does, however, stand out above the rest. Both anecdotally and statistically, the breakdown of the family lies behind many of the issues we are seeing today. The unravelling of the nuclear family has demonstrably led to poverty, disease, illiteracy, and violence. Groups like BLM, which have explicitly stated that it is their goal to "disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family" (they removed it from their website only after receiving negative feedback), claim to be fighting for equality and black lives, all while perpetrating an intentional, strategic assault on the primary stabilizing force that offers a solution to the issues that plague black communities.
Take, for instance, the recent police shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant. As an Ohioan this story hit particularly close to home (it doesn't help that a similar story, which had a drastically different ending, occurred in Cincinnati within the past few weeks). As the dust settled, it became clear that the an unstable family life was a major factor in this story. If you start to pay attention, you'll notice that the same is true of nearly every one of these stories. Other stories of violence, drug use, etc., often not sensationalized because they contain only white or only black people, contain this same unifying principle.
The implication is inescapable--unstable family life, particularly the absence of fathers, leads to broken communities, which, in turn, encourage criminal behavior. As one commentator put it, "The scholarly evidence, in short, suggests that at the heart of the explosion of violence in America is the loss of the capacity of fathers and mothers to be responsible in caring for the children they bring into the world."
This is not black/white problem, nor is it a religious/irreligious or rich/poor problem (though those factors are certainly pertinent). The breakdown of the family, which is accelerating exponentially, affects our entire society. As a culture we are beginning to reap what was sown by the Sexual Revolution of the 60's.
So, what do we do? How do we stem the tide? How, if it is even possible, do we reverse the effects of this epidemic? Solutions like education, government programs, and throwing money at it have proven to be ineffective, so what do we do?
Firstly, at the local level, we raise families. We dedicate ourselves to bearing and rearing children in stable homes. We stop chasing the permanent vacation and we commit ourselves to providing an environment where children can grow up with love, discipline, and structure. We honor our wedding vows and love our spouses sacrificially, even when we don't feel like it, setting a precedent that will impact generations to come.
Secondly, at a broader level, we support those in our communities who are suffering the effects of family brokenness. As churches, families, and individuals we are called to support the widow and the fatherless, which means that God expects us to give of our time, energy, and financial resources to bless those who are vulnerable or at risk. We are not called to judge those who have made mistakes, nor should we assume that unstable family life is always a result of sin or poor decisions. Having lost my mother at 14, I can personally attest to the negative effects of a disrupted family life. My mother's early passing was, of course, no one's fault, but it affected our family in many ways. I am grateful for the many friends and family who helped to guide and support me as I found my footing.
Thirdly, at a civil level, we create policies that encourage stable family life and we repeal policies that have ravaged the family for decades. Government programs that encourage dependence and irresponsibility, and that reward broken homes, must be abandoned. Government agencies make terrible parents. Yes, there are times when people need assistance, but many government programs exist to fix problems that were created and/or exacerbated by previous government programs. Uncle Sam will never be able to provide the answer to family brokenness, but he sure as heck needs to stop making things worse!
There is no easy, three-step solution to the current state of our nation, but acknowledging we have a problem is always the first step to solving the problem. Healing cannot begin until we recognize this issue that is staring us in the face. Until the family structure is again respected as the fundamental unit of society, America will continue to devolve socially, economically, and morally. Unfortunately, all signs point to the continued destruction of this family structure.
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