Christian novelist, Walter Wangerin, tells...
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Christian novelist, Walter Wangerin, tells of an incident from his own life: from his
experience as a parent. The Wangerins were going through a difficult time with their son,
Matthew, who was on the threshold of adolescence. He seemed to be rebelling against
every value the family held dear. On more than one occasion, the boy had been caught
stealing comic books from a local store. With the latest incident, Walter was in despair.
Feeling he'd run out of every other alternative, he resorted to a technique he'd not used
with his son for years: He gave him a spanking.
The father performed the act gravely, deliberately, almost ritualistically. When it was finished, he was so upset that he ran from the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went back in to his son, Matthew, and hugged him, long and hard. Nothing more was said, by father or son, about the incident -- but Matthew never stole another comic book.
Years later, Matthew, the grown man, and his mother were doing some reminiscing, and the subject came round to the comic-book incident. "Do you know why I finally stopped?" he asked his mother.
"Of course," she said. "It was because Dad finally spanked you."
"No," replied Matthew, "it wasn't the spanking at all. It was because Dad cried."
That's something like what Jeremiah means, when he predicts the law will be written on our heart.
The father performed the act gravely, deliberately, almost ritualistically. When it was finished, he was so upset that he ran from the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went back in to his son, Matthew, and hugged him, long and hard. Nothing more was said, by father or son, about the incident -- but Matthew never stole another comic book.
Years later, Matthew, the grown man, and his mother were doing some reminiscing, and the subject came round to the comic-book incident. "Do you know why I finally stopped?" he asked his mother.
"Of course," she said. "It was because Dad finally spanked you."
"No," replied Matthew, "it wasn't the spanking at all. It was because Dad cried."
That's something like what Jeremiah means, when he predicts the law will be written on our heart.
