SENTINEL WATCH July 12, 2010 Issue

MORALITY IN BABIES—GUIDANCE FOR ADULTS

REBECCA ODEGAARD

CHRIST JESUS' ADMONITION, near the finale of his earthy career, to "watch" (see Mark 13:37), resonates with every conscientious follower, even today. To watch is not only the motto and mission of this magazine, but the specific focus of this column. Watching trends in present thought for the purpose of elevating, through prayer, all human consciousness to unity with good is the duty and privilege of practicing Christians everywhere.

One prevalent drift of note is the general theme that many in fame's spotlight, whether across the spectrum of sports, popular celebrity, scholarly mastery, religious service, or political achievement, eventually slide into various degrees of moral frailty and personal disaster. Though not a new theme, it seems very few days go by without hearing of a recognizable and sometimes well-respected individual's moral demise.

It can seem perplexing that those with great gifts and talents can apparently squander them recklessly, even mindlessly. Didn't their parents teach them well? Were they flawed from the start, or naively coerced? We might wonder, who failed?