But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. Titus 2:1, NLT
There’s a lot of discussion going on lately about a trend occurring in the African-American community of young women wearing bonnets in public. While some believe these women should not wear hair bonnets in public places, others believe they should be left alone and allowed to wear their bonnets in public if they want to do so. The debate continues on both sides about this pervasive issue that has invaded the African-American community.
But what does the Bible have to say? What does God's Word want us to know about this trend that has been occurring lately within the African-American community? Am I responsible in any way as an older Christian woman to say anything to my younger counterparts about their unusual attire?
As a young pastor oveseeing a church of new believers, Paul wrote a letter to Titus advising him how to teach the various age groups in his church how to live as new Christians. He advised Titus on what to teach older men, what to teach older women and how both of these populations were to teach the younger men and women how to act and live so they would not bring shame on themselves or on the Word of God ( Titus 2: verses 2-6).
While Paul was writing to instruct Titus about his responsibilities as a young pastor in the first century church, there is an important principle we can glean from Paul's instructions to Titus as we live as Christians today: that we are responsible for each other. If you are an older Christian man, you have a responsibility to teach and train the younger men, and if you are an older Christian woman, you have a responsibility to teach and train the younger women. And this responsiblity doesn't just begin and end with those who believe like we believe; it is to extend into our communities, our cities, our nation and our world (Acts 1:8).
So let's go, teach and make disciples today in whatever way God instructs us to do so, for this is part of our responsibility to ourselves, others and to our Lord..
Sharing my perspective,
Jeaninne
