BY QUANG TRAN
HÌNH LÁ VÀNG MÙA THU
Autumn has returned, quiet and thoughtful after the rush of summer days. It’s the season when leaves turn golden, and late afternoons glow soft and mellow. It’s now time to pause, to look back, to reflect on life. The sudden death of Charlie Kirk has left many of us shaken. It’s not just the story of one person; it opens up a much larger worry: our young people are facing so many traps, so many dark corners in this vast world of the internet.
The shooter was also a young man. Youth can so easily be swayed, especially when there’s no firm ground at home. Lonely kids, those who rarely have time with their parents, often turn to social media to fill the emptiness. But that world isn’t always kind. Sometimes, they stumble into online groups that preach extremism, sow violence, and spread hatred. And then, just because someone disagrees or holds a different view, a young soul might feel justified in taking another’s life. That, we all know, is something that can never be accepted.
Every parent wants their child to grow up good and decent. But that can’t be left to schools or society alone. Family is the foundation. As the Bible says:
“Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
This truth isn’t just for believers—it’s a principle of life. If we plant good roots early, our children will stand strong later.
Discipline in the family isn’t about control, raised voices, or harsh punishment. It’s about guidance. It’s guidance. It’s like tending a tree: prune too much, and it withers; neglect it, and it grows wild and weak, unable to bear fruit.
Children are much the same: they need love to grow, but they also need clear boundaries to become strong and whole.
I remember a story about my friend’s son, Jackson. In class one day, during a debate, a girl, at a loss for reasons to defend her stance, slapped him hard across the face. Thankfully, Jackson didn’t fight back. Later he said, “I remembered what Dad taught me: Real strength is knowing how to stay calm, to hold back anger.”
And because of that, a fight was avoided”
That moment was a living example of how discipline and teaching at home can help a child make the right choice, even when emotions run high.
Discipline also teaches that freedom always comes with responsibility. A child may want many things, and parents may as well encourage curiosity. But if that desire turns into “I want it, so I can take it,” then the seed of wrongdoing is planted.
When pleasure comes before respect for others, that pleasure turns poisonous.
Even something as small as taking what doesn’t belong to you can slowly dull a child’s sense of right and wrong.
Autumn is the perfect season for parents to draw closer to their children.
Instead of letting them sit endlessly before a screen, parents can take a walk with them together in the park, or snap a few photos beneath the changing trees. Show them that the real world is more beautiful, more vast, than anything online. Encourage them to make kind friends, to join healthy community activities. That’s how their hearts stay alive and their minds clear, far from the dark corners of the internet.
The death of a young, well-known man may bring sorrow—but more importantly, it reminds us: everything begins at home.
Let’s spend time with our children. Let’s give them a foundation that’s steady, simple, and good.
So that when they step into the world, they’ll have the strength to turn from what’s wrong, the compassion to choose what’s right, and the wisdom to protect both their own life and the lives of others.
This autumn, how many times have you sat down beside your child?
QUANG TRAN
Pastor, Vietnamese Gwinnett Church
