'Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.' 
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

It is no secret that the influences that shaped parents may well go on to shape their children - and potentially also their children and grandchildren. In her new bookShaping the Heart, Pamela Evans highlights the gradual trend in 20th-century education, moving away from regarding education as an opportunity to develop moral character and towards the promotion of individual psychological well-being and replacing long-standing shared community values with personal moral frameworks - an approach that has probably affected not only 21st-century rioters and looters but all of us, perhaps more than we know.

But there is hope! People are not passive products of the past; we are not doomed to live out a course predetermined by others. We do need to return to a greater awareness of character formation, and to aim for more intentional character building within families and in educational settings. It's a strong message the Church can offer our troubled society.

But before the Church can take this message of hope to broken Britain, Christians need to be willing honestly to examine what is being most influential in their own character development. Pamela invites readers to reflect on the potential of unbidden and often barely detectable secular influences, which may be moulding minds in ways that undermine our ability to live Christ-like lives and to be salt and light in communities. She points to the lapping of an insidious tide, well illustrated by the millions who are subliminally 'educated' through soap operas regarding what is or is not cool, normal or to be feared. These and other entertainments are surprisingly influential, not only on the thinking and decision-making of Christian communities, but also on many Christians' heart-responses to people and to the options open to them.

Central to the hope running through Pamela's book is the work God does by his Holy Spirit, renewing foundations and bringing healing. Pamela encourages reflection upon various aspects of life in the light of Christian teaching, including learning to trust, handling adversity, and the transformation that comes through prayer and worship. Throughout the book, it is made clear that God is ready to touch and transform people as they draw closer to him through trusting obedience - steps that will lead to their becoming more fruitful disciples, a people ready to help their communities towards deep and lasting change for the better.