The Silver Bullet

September 28, 2023 by  
Filed under Family Focus

By Marty Norman  

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light
to everyone in the house.”  Matthew 5:14-15

When I was a child the Lone Ranger was a really big deal. Every Saturday we went to the Ridglea Theatre to see what new crime the Lone Ranger would thwart next. To my generation he was the equivalent of today’s Spiderman. Eventually he became a TV icon, and we were fans for life. Even today my heart beats a little faster when I hear the symphony play his theme song, the cavalry charge from the William Tell Overture. When I hear the words, “Hi-ho Silver, away,” I am transported back to the days of yesteryear, to another time and place.

The Lone Ranger was a great guy. There was no rascal too mean, no varmit too dangerous that he couldn’t outsmart, outrun, out-hit, or reform. He was so good that he could wrap up the deal in a neat little package in just thirty minutes.

Often I find myself wishing for those days. It was a simple time of safety for our families, hope for our future. We never even locked our doors. The bad guys were somehow under control. Often I find myself wishing for those days, for that simple faith. It is all so complex now.

As I look around, I am wondering where all the Lone Rangers are, heroes when we need them?  

Of course we all know that the Lone Ranger is fictitious. But there is hope. Although the days are evil, there is a real Long Ranger in our midst, just a heartbeat away. But so many in the world do not take the time nor spend the energy to get to know him. The scripture is clear. God will not be mocked. He draws near to us as we draw near to him. There is no problem no solution, that is beyond his means and, believe me, he is a very busy guy in today’s world.

I worry about my grandchildren and the values being taught.  As I contemplate the Emmy Awards and note how far we have fallen since the Lone Ranger, I am appalled.

Recently my grandson Jack came for a visit. The weather did not cooperate and caused us to revamp our agenda from outdoor physical to indoor mental, a challenge for any grandmother. In addition I got the education of a lifetime. Everywhere we went we had to contend with ratings. R versus X, PG versus PG–13.  In addition all the game boys, PSP’s, DS’s and X-Boxes had ratings of E, T and who knows what else.

I know these ratings are good things, but I can’t help but wonder how we have fallen so low as to need ratings in the first place? How did we let this happen? The exposure on TV alone is enough to drive a sane person crazy. As parents and grandparents, how can we protect our young ones from the onslaughts of the world?

I confess that every night I fall on my knees and thank God that I didn’t have to deal with these issues with my own children. But that doesn’t change the fact that parents today have to deal with an ever changing and corrupt medium that affects the souls of our precious ones. Today parents have to be super vigilant. Round table discussions and current events of the day must be scrutinized and discussed, scripture and biblical principals dissected, in order to give children the scriptural grounding needed.

Family values must be enforced. And there is no one to do it but us. We can’t depend on the government, the schools, not even the churches. It is up to us. It must begin in the home.

Having a supportive church community, being in relationship with neighbors, and being involved in schools is a necessity. But there is more. Bathing our neighborhoods and schools in prayer, praying for our teachers and principals, being salt and light in the midst of our world is our role. How else can we change the world for Christ if we do not introduce and permeate our environments with Him?

The Lone Ranger was a light in his small corner of the world. Although masked he righted injustice. As Christians we are not masked, and we have the real Lone Ranger on our team. As his sidekick, we are to be a light in the darkness, to stand out in our own sphere of influence, to breathe life and hope in the places we have been planted. With God on our side, there is no task too great, no valley too deep, that we can’t be a witness and guide to a lost world.

Let’s do it now. Let’s make a list of places where we can shine. Mount that horse and charge full steam ahead!

“Hi-ho Silver, away!”

Marty Norman is the mother of two and grandmother of four. She is a freelance writer and the author of “Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray.” www.amazon.com,  www.martynorman.com, and http:///martynorman.blogspot.com,

{mos_fb_discuss:30} 

About admin

  • Advertisement

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!


Prove You\'re Human: *