Dr Sawak Sarju Addressing the audience

By Mwangi Ngamate
Mwangi@caymannetnews.com

A visiting preacher has called on fathers to be responsible and to leave a legacy that their children will be proud to emulate.

Speaking at the Triple C School Hall on Saturday, 20 June, Dr Sawak Sarju from Guyana said that as a role model he had portrayed an image of being the best dad in the world, which was not synonymous with being perfect.

Referring to the Bible, Dr Sarju said that often those who have been regarded as godly were not very good fathers or family men, citing the examples of David, Solomon and Abraham.

Whereas these three did not give the best idea of being a good family man, the ideals and virtue of a father should be emulated, he said.

“Our world is very interconnected. The 291 countries as recognised by the United Nations are diverse, and some fathers may not understanding hi-tech issues like Facebook, Twitter and My Space, but they possess wisdom that is not considered valuable to their children. Fathers should be listened to for children to tap astuteness out of them,” Dr Sarju said.

The speaker, who once ministered in Cayman Islands but now lives in Canada, startled the audience when he told them that the income of the family however essential is not as important as the outcome.
Dr Sarju was alluding to better citizens who are conscious of their morals as opposed to children who grow up in opulence.

He cautioned parents to be careful since children are not angels, but should always be given the benefit of doubt.

“We cannot judge people’s motives but we can only judge their behaviour,” he said.

In the world’s changing times, he observed that fathers must adjust to conditions set. Train a child in the way he should live so that he shall not go astray, Dr Sarju said while quoting the book of Proverbs.

Dr Sarju cautioned parents against saying yes to everything that children wanted but also maintaining a balance.

“The more you give them, the more they want. There should be controls in the amount of money they receive,” he noted.

As fathers age, Dr Sarju asked them to remember that they are parents for life, and they should work to bail their children out when they are in need, but should not expect anything from them in return.

While challenging residents of the Cayman Islands, the preacher said that people should borrow virtues from other cultures.

He gave an example of the Indian culture, where you love the person you marry as opposed to marrying the person that you love. In communicating this lesson, he said that one should be ready to love the one they have married irrespective of the differences they could be having.