C A R L B. G A R N E R

THE ACORNS FELL CLOSE TO THE TREE

The American people have had a love affair with the descendants of Joseph P. Kennedy for a long time. This ³patriarch² of the Kennedy family served as Ambassador to Great Britain 1937-1940. It was commonly known that his fortune was made in liquor, some of which was reportedly of the ³bootleg² variety. It was also known that he was a womanizer, his name linked with actresses and infamous women.

One of his sons, a namesake, was killed in World War II, and a second was injured in that same war. That son¹s name was John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and he became the 35th President of the United States. The term ³Camelot² was the media¹s description of JFK and Jackie, the perfect family, etc. But even then there were rumors of infidelity on the part of JFK. His assassination in 1963 was the catalyst that thrust him into a status unequaled in history. Even grizzled media types hesitated to discuss his alleged affairs with glamorous, well-known women.

The decade of the 90s, however, has seen what the media calls ³the loss of innocence of the Kennedy heirs.² It started before the 90s, of course, but in a recent two page spread in the Austin American-Statesman, the emphasis was on the scandals of this decade, with not even a mention of Chappaquiddick. The ³Torch² is passed, but not as friends of the Kennedys would like.

One quote in the newspaper article (which originated in Newsweek magazine) said it this way: ³The old emotional link to the Kennedy name used to be tragedy. Now it has become women and sex.²

This is not an isolated story, for similar tragedies have been experienced by many a family in this same time period. It is of particular significance because it illustrates the old saying that ³an acorn doesn¹t fall very far from the tree.² Who can ignore, even in the somewhat slanted writing of the Newsweek people, the link between the ³sins of the fathers² and the behavior of the sons? It serves no useful purpose for me to enumerate the numerous scandals that the sons of John, Edward and Robert Kennedy have been involved in, for they have been adequately publicized for years. But it may be of value for us to learn that the lives of parents do have an impact on their children.

What if it was your father who was unfaithful to your mother, and the story was in all the newspapers and on all the newscasts? Would it have an impact upon you? To deny the consequences is foolish!

In 2 Chronicles 25:4 we read, ³The Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.² This verse alludes to Deuteronomy 24:16, which principle permeates the Old Testament writings. Ezekiel wrote, ³The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him,² Ezekiel 18:20. Note that guilt for the father¹s sins did not pass to the son, nor did the guilt of the son pass to the father. There is no such thing as inherited sin, or ³original sin,² as accepted by the denominational world. However, it is not only possible but highly likely that sons will follow the example of their fathers. Then are the consequences of a father¹s sins passed on to future generations. Like Patrick, John, Joe, Michael and their cousins. There are some fine, upstanding Kennedy heirs, but unfortunately they are overshadowed by the others.

David, known by God as ³a man after his own heart,² 1 Samuel 13:14, saw his own sons fall into tragic times (remember Absalom, Amnon and Tamar?) Who can deny the impact of David¹s adulterous affair with Bathsheba, along with the murder of Uriah the Hittite? The words of Nathan the prophet were well-remembered by David: ³Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun,² 2 Samuel 12:11-12. It is not a surprise, therefore, to discover that his son, Solomon, fell prey to the same problem. In 1 Kings 11:1-4 we learn that ³Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites....For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods.² Solomon had seen the ways of David with women, and what he saw did not lead him to a godly way of life. Sad, but true.

Other examples are available, such as Jeroboam, Eli, Ahab and Jezebel (remember their daughter, Athaliah?). Many good influences are also known. Remember Noah and his wife? And Mary and Joseph¹s influence upon Jesus? Zacharias and Elizabeth¹s rearing of John the baptist? Think of Hannah¹s love and example to Samuel, and Lois and Eunice¹s teaching of young Timothy.

No influence will be more far-reaching than that of parents. Moms and Dads, don¹t forget that your example may be the difference between heaven and hell for your children. Remember; the acorn seldom falls very far from the tree.