Straightening Granddad’s Bent

We’ve all heard the following words, sometimes said in affection, sometimes in disgust: “You’re just like your father/mother!” In other settings, we’ve chided, “The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Are those merely throwaway clichés, or is there truth in them? We acknowledge that, being human, we are sinful people—sinners by nature, through choice and from birth.