Father Of A Billion
Fathers, you are essential to your family! The significance here is not just being a provider but also a caregiver. Fatherhood is a gift and should be taken seriously. Dads, recognize your value as parents just as it has been valued for centuries.
"In the 18th century, fathers, rather than mothers, were considered the primary caregivers. Fathers were also active in the significant nurturing and educational functions we now associate with motherhood. So what happened? During the 1920s, changing societal norms influenced the separation of work and home for men. As a result, the Father's absence from home impacted the development of their children. It shifted the narrow responsibility onto the mother." -David Newman
The 1950s saw absent dads returning to their children. An ideal can be found here: Leave it to Beaver.
The proper understanding of fatherhood has only made sense to me in the last 15 years. The divorce of my parents when I was 6 years old left me grappling with the concept of 'father.' The fathers I encountered during the 1970s, a time of another societal shift, often embodied a powerful, controlling, and synthetic version of fatherhood. The father figure I longed for would provide loving intellectual stimulation and enthusiasm, starkly contrasting to the 1970s dad.
Today, I reflect on a father of billions, not an idyllic father model, but one that galvanizes my understanding of fatherhood. This figure exemplifies a better approach to fatherhood than the contemporary practices I had witnessed.
God the Father, as depicted in the Old and New Testaments, are profound chapters in the history of fatherdom. Scripture emotes the relational God of Abraham and, later, Jesus' earthly Father, Joseph. The essence of these chapters is God's unwavering love for His people and His Son. This view is rooted in the simple axiom that God the Father acts out of pure love.
I have come to understand this through my own fatherhood, through the 5 practices of "Fatherly Provisions."
1. Discovering my vocation in marriage.
3. Acting courageously in faith.
4. Meditating on my own Christian maturity.
5. Cooperating with love for others.
Practicing daily mandates me to take my fatherhood role seriously. God the Father is the framework of said provisions and is a father of billions of people.
So, this Father's Day, I pray for young fathers newly embracing their role; may they find the courage and perseverance to balance work, family, and faith in joy and sacrifice. I pray for fathers worldwide whose children are lost or suffering; may they know the gift of The Father's compassion who walks with them in their sorrow. I pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide children with fatherly love and advice. Finally, I remember all grandfathers and great-grandfathers who have reunited with our Lord in heaven.
