Real People in an Unreal World

As we spend half our conscious hours at work—give or take a few hours—our attitudes to work form a significant part of our attitude to life. How are we to view work? Is it a curse or a calling?

This question is being asked today because many parents suspect they may have failed, and many children do little to alter that perception. But to answer the question, we need to know what parents are supposed to do.

Adolescence—the period of growth to maturity—is a twentieth century word that is not an exclusively twentieth century experience. But some people feel that the stage through which we all pass is particularly difficult in the modern world. What does a real teenager do about it?

Societal structures are changing dramatically in the U.S.A. and not the least in the area of “singles”—those who are not married either by choice or chance. For example, single households have increased 66% from 1960 to 1980. What is the status of the single person according to Scripture?

The family, God’s basic ordained societal unit can be an environment of great delight or the scene of intolerable stress and strain. Isaac’s family knew both experiences and a study of it may prove valuable to all those who take the family seriously.

When Betty Friedan wrote, “The problem for women today is not sexual but a problem of identity, a stunting or evasion of growth that is perpetuated by the feminine mystique,” she fired a shot heard around the world. To what extent was her mystique a mistake? To what extent was she right?

At first sight, the question may seem inappropriate, but further reflection shows that many questions are circulating about the part that “real” husbands play in developing “real” marriages.

Never a wedding goes by without someone saying, “Marriages are made in heaven.” But if they are, why do so many fail? What are real marriages made of? Jesus had some thoughts on the subject.

We know they don’t eat quiche, but what do they eat? And who are these real men? The question, which is on many lips, suggests some degree of uncertainty. Jesus knew a real man when he saw one—and He knew what he ate!