Dialogue on The Tragedy of American Compassion PART 2

Quote from Book:
"A pre-1800 poverty fighting principle was an emphasis on family relationships."
"Those immediate family members who wouldn't offer support were fined heavily"

I read this section and thought well that is "nice" but that is "old school"  I mean really how much can we hope to hold families accountable?

The family structure has broken down astronomically over the last two hundred years.  This is especially true in the demographics of poverty.  Anyhone who has spent time with people in distressed areas immediately recognize that a "happy home" is an oddity.  The most hopeless part of this observation is when you realize that it is generational....that the person I'm talking to right now struggling with drugs and has their children taken by DHS....was born into a situation that led her on that path...and her parents parents were the same.

How do we stop and say your family is responsible....when your family has helped contribute in more ways than we feel comfortable admitting to the persons current situation.

And yet....if you stop for a minute and think...there is hope there.  God created families for a reason and a health family is something that shines the light of grace, forgiveness, and love to a broken world.  So of course the evil one is going to attack families.  But the "kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."   His power and guidance suggests that we take a longer look at the family....not in a "focus on the family" or voter ballot kind of way...but in a serious down and dirty kind of way with our neighbors who are hurting....what would a strategy look like that included family reconciliation and accountability?

What do you think about the responsibility of family and movements that will help reconnect and build them up especially in the context of poverty?