Andrew

Two words of caution, one for older men and one for younger men. Older men, Absalom didn't come from nowhere. When Amnon violated his sister Tamar, David was furious but did nothing (2 Sam 13:21). Absalom waited two years, then took justice into his own hands. Passive fathers raise bitter sons. Don't provoke your children to anger (Eph 6:4) by ducking hard conversations or hoarding work you should hand off. Humble yourself. Own your sins, open your hands, and work alongside these young men. Some young men are telling older men, "You had your chance. Get out of our way." Young men, your grievances about what was squandered before you got here are real. Crushing cost of living and homeownership, foreigners overrunning our nation, feminism pervading everything, and American jobs handed to H-1B workers. But young Absalom had a real grievance too. He sat at the city gate stealing hearts (2 Sam 15:1-6), and he ended up hanging in an oak (2 Sam 18:9-15). Young Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men for the voices of his buddies and lost ten tribes (1 Kgs 12:13–16). You can name your father's sins and still honor him (Exod 20:12). Try building a house by tearing down the man who gave you your name. See how long it stands. If we want lasting reform, we need sons who honor their fathers and fathers who shepherd their sons, all of us under the lordship of Christ, building what none of us could build alone.