THE EDITOR, Sir:I REFER to your recent article about safe school programmes with a plea for boys. This is an excellent idea but I believe that we should be aiming to go further in trying to curb crime and violence in our society. There is the saying, "give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man." It was Livingstone who said, "attempt great things for God, expect great things from God".
In this little island of Jamaica there are 66 children's homes; an average of four homes to each parish. Far too many children are in care. Many homes are run by caring, loving people but with their best efforts and the limited resources, they are stretched to their limit mentally and physically.
DISAGREEMENT
A four-year-old boy met so many people in a short while that he said to one of them, "Do I know you?". A lady visited the under-15s in a children's home, many went up to her and said "Are you my mum?" others jostled and pushed saying "No she's my mum" etc. A father had a disagreement with his son. They parted company for years. The father yearned after his son and decided to contact him. He placed an advertisement in the local paper. It read, "Joseph I love you and want to make peace with you. If you are willing to meet me under the clock in the town square. When the father arrived at the square there were hundreds of Josephs.
LIFESTYLE
A lady had a cousin whose lifestyle shamed the family. This Christian lady was ashamed to associate with her cousin. She was distressed to the extent that she could not sleep so she got up early one morning and went for a walk. As she thought about the shame of the cousin God dropped a thought in her mind, "What were you like when I met you?" There was a dramatic change in her attitude towards her cousin and the cousin noticed it. I believe that these stories illustrate to us that there is a real need for connection and identification.
Christmas is a time when lonely hearts are turned towards home. There are those in prisons, mental hospitals, children's homes, golden age homes etc. Let us as a caring nation (yes, I believe that there are many caring people in our society) reach out to these people. Our emphasis is on reaching out to young men. So fathers, where are your sons? Will you be willing to reach out to them and tell them that you love them? With God all things are possible.
I am, etc.,
N.M.P. MCLEAN
Bonitto Crescent
Mandeville, Manchester
