We live in a world where it seems everything and everyone is connected. A decision made in Moscow, Washington, or Beijing can have a ripple effect on the rest of the world for years to come. This is called the “trickle down effect.” However, the same effect works in reverse. Changes at the most fundamental levels of society, such as the family and communities, can “trickle up” to the rest of society. In truth, both forces are constantly engaged, pushing back and forth on each other, like the tide’s ebbing and flowing. Neither has the strength to overcome the other without substantive change in the structure of one or the other.
Since the family is still the values-generating institution of the society, parents serve as social engineers of each subsequent generation. . . but who will influence the engineers? Should society dictate family values or reflect them? Trickle down, or trickle up? Whatever measurable influence parents are willing to surrender, or seize, will become either the curse or blessing their children must live with in the future. Thus, it all comes back to the strategic role parents play in shaping society.
Parents also have a social obligation to the welfare of their Nation, and therefore, must stay cognizant of the truth that what they are doing in the home will have an influence beyond their front porch. Growing Families and Christian Family Heritage recognizes this life-force principle, and will continue to encourage parents to be influencers for good, and advocates of all that is noble, pure, lovely and true.
If free governments are truly of the people, by the people and for the people, than the citizenry, at the most fundamental level, must accept responsibility for their society, rather than the society accepting responsibility for the people. In order to achieve and maintain social harmony, families and society are best served by a collective moral conscience. While the very nature of a “free” society may not allow for common values, it’s very freedom is dependent upon a moral consensus of common virtue. Without virtue, good values are only relative, to whoever is defining “good.” To the extent that virtue is removed from the citizenry, so also is an equal measure of freedom. Everything comes back to parenting.
This article used with permission from Growing Families International. More parenting articles are available at www.growingfamiliesusa.com.
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