By now many Americans are familiar with a formerly obscure African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." It has been made familiar since it is the basis for the title of Mrs. Clinton's, book, It Takes A Village. This book does not speak of a small village so much as it speaks of central government's role in helping parents raise their children. Under many such proposals it would seem that parents would take a backseat to the parenting oversight provided by civil government.

My purpose here is not to discuss these possible ramifications. That has been done in many other publications. Instead I want to concentrate on the proverb itself. Does one need a village to raise a child? I would propose an alternative - a city. No, I do not mean Newport News, Hampton or any other earthly city. I mean the city of God's people. Speaking to Christians, Christ said, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden," (Mt. 5:14).