It is hard to be a long-distance disciplinarian. No doubt that is the reason so many kids happily pick far-away destinations for their first away-from-home schools or jobs. Parental power plays are much easier to disregard when they get delivered digitally instead of “in your face.”

College students quickly learn that they can ignore their alarm clock and sleep through classes. But they also will learn the consequences of that behavior when they flunk out. “Ditching” work is as easy as it used to be to “ditch” PE class. But the result is getting fired and no paycheck at the end of the month. No on-sight disciplinarian doesn’t mean there will not be bad outcomes from bad behavior.

As the second letter to the Thessalonians comes to a close, the Pauline author takes a final stand as the vo…