Postmodern Prodigals?

With society's rampant divorce rate, it's my belief that the current marriage paradigm (or lack thereof) is creating an entire new breed of 'widow' and 'orphan.' I've pasted the article below: a brilliant interview in which is described how children of divorce deal with faith issues differently than those from more stable, intact (if there is such a thing) families. I think the notion that people from different backgrounds (e.g. divorce) would interpret well-known Bible parables differently is extremely important when we consider how we teach and minister in Churches across America. There is a much needed resensitization among pastors and ministry leaders to understand that their intended message may be lost on someone without the appropriate, congruent, or stereotypical family background. The fact that many children of divorce focus on, and relate to, the Father character in the parable of the prodigal son is truly telling of the cultural shifts that are occurring in this country. As the Church seeks to regain its prominent place in the lives of Americans, it would do well to interpret the signals coming from the younger generation of people, many of whom are simply waiting for their prodigal dad to return.


Article
Lives of Quiet Turbulence
Elizabeth Marquardt on what happens in the souls of children of divorce.
Interview by Agnieszka Tennant, for the study, “Dealing with Divorce”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/003/36.41.html