Today is Father’s Day, and all across America, dads are getting a pair of black socks, or a set of screwdrivers, or a flat-screen television. On dad’s day, we stop to intentionally say to dad, “Hey dad, we love you—in case we haven’t said that before.”
As Father’s Day, this Sunday is not on the liturgical calendar, but it could be, because the most common metaphor for God in Scripture is that of a father.
It used to be popular to dismiss this metaphor as dated and not particularly helpful—many complaining that so many fathers had failed so miserably as dads that the metaphor was more hurtful than helpful.
This complaint of course missed the point—as so many politically correct complaints frequently do. If “father” is a metaphor that’s used in Scripture, our task as students of Scripture is to understand what “father” meant when the Scriptures were written so that we can understand in what way ancient worshippers of God understood God. If they thought it was helpful to explain God as being a “father,” just what did that mean to them?
I am not going to answer that question, but since we often refer to God as our “heavenly father,” we might call this day, not only Father’s Day, but God’s Day.
One would hope that God would have more than one day of the year in which we acknowledge God’s love, care, protection and faithfulness. But it never hurts to explain to your dad why you think he’s so cool, and why you appreciate him.
So let’s have a moment with Abba—and tell God why we love him.
It’s the least we can give God.
After all, he doesn’t really need another cordless drill.
Father, let our faithful mind
Rest, on thee alone inclined;
Every anxious thought repress,
Keep our souls in perfect peace.
--Charles Wesley
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