Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for their Ageing Parents (Part 2)

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Paul Schlehlein

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In a now-deleted Tiktok rant, Elsa Majimbo roared to one of her parents: “I was born, I was raised, I grew up, now you’re asking me for money – you lazy [expletive]. I’m not feeding your habits.”

This is how some African adults feel today. They rage at the thought of supporting their parents, especially if it’s a delinquent Dad or Mom.

What should be the realistic expectations for adult children in caring for their parents? This is a common conundrum in Africa, where fathers and mothers often insist that their children finance them until death. But it’s not only about money. How should children interact with their parents’ transgressions?

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The Redeeming Value of Rugby – How Strenuous Sport Helps Boys Become Men

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Paul Schlehlein

–– Titus Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

On September 7, South Africa’s rugby team, The Springboks, beat the New Zealand All Blacks by 18 points to 12 in another thrilling contest between rugby’s fiercest rivals. Saturday’s victory positions the Springboks as the strong favorites to win this year’s Rugby Championship, building on the winning streak of the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions. The impact of rugby in post-apartheid South Africa is a testament to the unifying power of sport on a national level, but there is another way in which Christians can see the redeeming value of rugby on an individual level: rugby is a tool to help boys become men.

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Africa’s Absent Fathers: Working Away from Home and Family

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Paul Schlehlein

–– Warrick Jubber

Audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Among Africa’s many problems, one of its greatest is the absence of fathers from the home. The Human Sciences Research Council reports that in South Africa, over 60% of children do not reside with their biological fathers, with only 20% seeing their biological father bi-weekly.

The importance of a father’s role in the family and especially the development of children has been the subject of extensive global research. The National Fatherhood Initiative reported that children living in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor and twice as likely to drop out of school. Children raised without the influence of a father are also reported to face significantly higher probabilities of being abused or indulging in crime, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual promiscuity.

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Dos and Don’ts: Fathers, Sons and Talking about Sex

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Paul Schlehlein

Podcast edition: Youtube – Spotify – Apple Podcasts

Normal Rockwell’s famous painting of a father talking to his son about the birds and the bees represents the way most men feel regarding talking about sex. In the painting, the son is embarrassed out of his mind. The father, while trying to be diplomatic and scientific, feels awkward and inadequate. The picture makes us cringe.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Solomon lived thousands of years before Rockwell. He taught his sons about sex with such skill and warmth that his words are still being read today.

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Hope for Single Moms

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Paul Schlehlein

– Paul Schlehlein

Podcast edition: Youtube – Spotify – Apple Podcasts

As the family goes, so goes society. As the father goes, so goes the family. God made fathers the leaders of the home. They lead, provide and protect.

God chose Abraham, not his wife Sarah, to command his children to obey the Bible and do right (Gn. 18:19). The Psalmist urges fathers not to hide the truth from their children (Ps. 78:3-6). Ephesians 6:4 implores fathers to teach their children early and often.

So what are mothers to do when they have children but no father at home? This is not unusual. Almost a quarter of children under the age of 18 in the US live with one parent. Nearly a third of women in Sub-Sahara Africa between the ages of 18-60 are single with children in the household.

Maybe her husband died, or took off, or is gone all the time for work? What hope do single mothers have that their children will end up godly? Where can they go for confidence that their children can thrive in adulthood?

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