The Kennedy

curse? Don't know if there is anything to do with a

specific Kennedy curse, but the Word of God clearly

indicates that the sins of the father will be visited

upon the third and fourth generations. No commentator in

the last two weeks even hinted at the sins of Joseph P.

Kennedy, the patriarch who, prior to World War II, served

as our ambassador to Great Britain.

I've seen

in recent years television documentaries that have pretty

well documented his philandering ways, which he also

entrusted to his sons. Also, it's well known that the

senior Kennedy made much of his money by criminal running

rum during prohibition. God's Word says it and I believe

it: in reference to serving idols, God says, "You

shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord

your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the

fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth

generations of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5).

Through

sin, rebellion, and disobedience, fathers curse their own

children, whom they love with all their heart. We can't

blame or credit God for the curse. The curse is a

father's own doing. You see, iniquity has tremendous

modeling and duplication power. You can witness it in the

children of alcoholics. As much as a child hates the

drunkenness of a father (in most cases) and as much as

the child promises to himself that he will never be like

his father, invariably that child must deal with alcohol

in his personal life - often becoming the very thing he

hates.

If a child

sees a parent regularly use deception and chicanery,

often he will adopt that lifestyle for himself and rarely

see anything wrong with it. The sins of the father passed

along to their child. Yet, amid this gloomy stuff, I have

two big bits of good news.

The first

is that no one has to serve as a passive host for sin

from one generation to another. Just because your father

sinned and conducted his life recklessly before God, you

don't have to! You can break the "curse" by

taking a stand for righteousness. President John Kennedy

could have broken away from the generational sin style of

his father. Rather, his choice was to sustain it. Senator

Edward Kennedy could have broken away also. Yet, we know

only too well about his womanizing ways.

No one has

to be eternally held captive by iniquity. That's what the

cross of Christ was about - breaking the rule of sin

through the shedding of the blood of the son of God. But

you have to be intentional about renouncing the former

lifestyle and receiving Christ into your life.

The second

big bit of good news is that righteousness and obedience

hold more futuristic power than unrighteousness. God says

that he will "show lovingkindness to thousands, to

those who love me and keep my commandments" (Exodus

20:6). Whereas iniquity can extend to the third and

fourth generation, righteousness has its serendipitous

blessings unto a 1000 generations.

So, if you

and I really want to pass on a legacy that will outlast

anyone even remembering our name, embrace, embody, and

emulate righteousness and obedience. Amen! That's cool!

The Rev. Dr. John

Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community Church in

Fayetteville.

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