A Christmas Hope for Hurting Youth

A Christmas Hope for Hurting Youth

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV ©)

This prophecy was fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 1:17), who prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry.

I serve as Chaplain for the Seal Beach (California) Police Department. Our department has been deeply affected by two suicides in recent days—a teenage boy and a young man. Since learning of these, I’ve been thinking long and hard about the factors today that contribute to this phenomenon, which barely existed when I was in high school and college.

There are many factors to consider and it would be wrong to reduce our thoughts to but one. Still, I’m convinced that the common breakdown in father/son relationships is a key factor. The good news is, the Father sent his Son into the world so that fathers and sons might draw closer!

May God use this Christmas message through my life and yours to offer genuine hope to torn relationships with the message of Jesus! Suicide is a wrong and permanent answer to temporary problems, for which there are true answers in Jesus.

Donald P. Shoemaker