It takes a village

As I think about Mother's Day, I think about the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." While much has been made about these words since Hillary Clinton used them as a title for a book and in her campaign, I want to consider them in light of the call for the church to be a place of community.
While our society has embraced this proverb through some of our actions, I believe we have abandoned some key elements of this attitude at the same time. When it comes to schools, sports teams, various activities, and even spiritual formation, many parents have looked to the village to raise their child. However, we often miss what I believe is an important part of being a village.
Parents seem to have become defensive when people actually try to act as a village. While I am not one to look back at the "good old days" with blind delusions of awe and wonder, I do sense we have lost an important part of what it means to be a village. We are often unable to criticize (constructively) or discipline (appropriately) other people's children. Whether it's a school official, a coach, or even a fellow church member, many of us have gotten to the point where we lash out at anyone who questions the behavior or attitude of our children.
While I am not sure what all has caused this shift, I am pretty sure it has not been for our good.
Those of us in the church should embrace and, if we have abandoned it, return to the idea that we are a village. While children have one mother who is ultimately responsible for rearing them, the church is full of mothers (and fathers) who can and should be helping with the rearing of every child.
I will admit that this is challenging for me at times. It's not always enjoyable as a parent to hear that your child behaved in a certain way. Sometimes it challenges my parenting, which can make me defensive. But if my primary concern is the development of my child, and not my pride or the way people perceive me, then I will receive those words with humility and openness.
Maybe this gets to the heart of one of the biggest deficiencies in the church today, the unwillingness to be confronted about much of anything. As much as my child needs other adults to observe and correct behavior and attitudes, I need the same thing. If the church could be a place where people are invited to lovingly confront others for behaviors and attitudes that don't reflect the nature and character of Christ, maybe we could experience a new level of spiritual development.
It doesn't just take a village to raise a child; it takes a village for each of us to grow as disciples of the One who made us a village in the first place.

shine!
Jason