A Fathers' Day Reflection

A group of Christians with a prison ministry once enquired whether the inmates would like to send Mothers’ Day cards to their mums. There was a huge response and so the volunteers brought cards for them all to send. When Fathers’ Day came around, they offered the same thing. There wasn’t a single inmate who took them up on their offer to send a card to their dad.

Many years ago, I worked in a residential setting with young men at risk of homelessness. Many were just out of care or the youth offending services. One trend we noticed as support workers was the distinct absence of dads on the scene. In fact, of all the young people I supported over the eight years I worked there, I can remember only two young people who had a relationship with their dads.

We have a crisis of absentee fathers! We have a crisis of genuine, authentic, sacred masculinity (though that could be a wider conversation).

This Fathers’ Day, I offer some simple words for prayer and reflection for us all….

To all the dads out there, Happy Fathers’ Day! Turn up, be present, offer love. And be kind to yourselves, you’re probably doing a better job than you think you are.

To all those who find themselves without a dad today, may you be comforted deep in your heart and may the longings of your soul be met in the divine love and affection of a Heavenly Father; may you know and understand the plethora of ways fathering comes to you.

To all the men with no children of their own, the world needs fathers, needs you to turn up to life, to help rebuild, to co-create, to forgive, and to bring joy. Be courageous, offer authentic, genuine love to the world. Trust me, walls will fall!!

To those who have a broken image of fathers, who mistrust men and fathers because of your experiences that led to trauma and abuse, may awakening to divine love bring healing and show you that a better, truer way is possible and available!

Jesus, thank you for leading us in a better way, for modelling true, divine love, grace and acceptance; thank you for covering us and guiding us as we fumble our way through; for showing us how to live with a warrior spirit and a tender heart; how to offer strength and humility with a gentle, healing touch; and for showing us how to love God and live free, how to play and pray, and how to take afternoon naps!

And so to close, as Pete Greig of 24-7 Prayer prays, ‘finally, Lord, for all those poor souls everywhere who forgot that today is Fathers’ Day, we ask you to bless them, in your abundant grace and manifold mercy, with the discovery of chocolate and a half‑decent card in surprisingly well‑stocked convenience stores.’

Blessings,

Jon

Jon Timms

Joint CEO, Rural Ministries