I was talking with a friend of mine who has spent the past ten years as a missionary in Brazil. She, her husband and three children are now living back in the U.S. One thing that has jumped out at her as a difference in the two cultures is the fear Americans have for their children. She said that Brazilians let their kids go anywhere, do anything. They seem to have no fear for their safety, even considering that they lived in the very big city of Rio de Janera. She was not advocating that Americans do as Brazilians, necessarily. However, she was just noticing the fear that Americans have for their children. One of those fears that seems to be out of proportion is the fear of strangers. She quoted statistics of the number of children abducted as opposed to the number of children who drown every year. There are significantly many more drownings (like 3000 more) per year, yet few people seem to be paranoid about drownings. What I have noticed is that if I am on a walk and see a child on a bike and say "Hi!" they usually ignore me. Or if I am in a store and try to help a young child who is having a problem they run screaming. Now, I know that I am a suspicious looking person, but it really hurts my feelings when they do this. I try not to take it personally though. I know that they have had it pounded in their head at home and school... "beware of strangers". Another sad thing to me is that adults have adopted that fear for themselves as well. How many of us stop to help someone who needs help on the side of the road? Especially if they look "suspicious" (Excluding my friend Clayton of course) If the story of the good Samaritan happened these days, we would totally justify walking right on by because, of course, it is foolish to stop and help a stranger. My friend and I decided that this whole "stranger danger" thing is a plot of the enemy to keep the church away from people. To keep them so afraid of strangers that they never meet one and instead "minister" within their holy huddle. I am not sure what the answer is for teaching our children to be safe, but I am getting the idea that God is not as big on safety as we are. Just my thoughts. That is what blogs are for. Right?
