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PENTECOST
5-A
15 June AD 2008m, Father's Day
Romans 5:6-15
I read a book the other day, THE TEN BEST THINGS ABOUT MY DAD,
by Christine Loomis. Caren had it on her book shelf, and since
I was a captive audience that morning, I decided to read it. I
want to share it with you.
Nice, huh?
Cute. It's a Hallmark card stepped up couple notches. It makes
a point of teaching fathers about fathering by getting them to
read to their children what their jobs as parents. Of course,
the best fathers are available, huggable, lovable-involved. They
are forgiving and comforting. Fathers play with their children
and excellent ones read them stories. Fathers teach all the time,
consciously or subconsciously, deliberately and without even being
aware.
Parents are
the most important teachers a child has. A number of years ago,
when it appeared that the cell phone was here to stay, a college
professor was heard to lament that no sooner had exam grades been
posted, than any number of students gathered out in the hallway
calling their folks to tell them how they did. That was not the
case when I was in college. My parents were as close as a pay
phone. We had a standing appointment for Thursday evenings around
seven. Because of the cell phone, today's youth are more closely
attached to their parents than yesteryear. That's good and bad.
However, the point: parents have a huge roll to play in the lives
of their children-more important than many of us realize.
There was
something missing in the book. It's the one thing I am concerned
about as a father. Miss Loomis paints an all too rosy a picture
of dad. If there is any-thing we fathers know it's that we screw
up royally, and often, not just as fathers, but we goof up as
sons and husbands too. The father in the story had no faults,
but every kid knows the truth about dads. Indeed, all parents
are flawed.
Truth be
told, we carry the flaws of our parents into the next generation.
St. Paul speaks truly, "therefore, just as sin came into
the world through one man, [our father Adam] and death through
sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."
Roman 5:12 Faults, sins, bad habits... all passed on with that
original sin and its consequence, death (6:23).
That is why
doctors, pastors and educators are so concerned about abusive
behaviors. These are unintentionally learned and they are passed
down through the
generations until the cycle of abuse can somehow be broken. And
sometimes that
doesn't happen until too late; until some tragedy happens. Parents,
fathers, need to be aware that their actions and inactions, their
words or the lack of them, have the potential to seriously harm
their children. This is why we need confession, and forgiveness.
We need to practice it at home; we need to admit our shortcomings
and exhibit for our children how in faith we overcome them.
For reasons
I don't fully understand, it seems that fathers, grandfathers,
make a huge difference in the life of their children, especially
when it comes to matters of faith and (piety) religion. I'm not
saying that anyone female should stop trying, not at all. Certainly,
you can find a great many examples of people whose faith came
to them through their mother;
" St. Augustine's came through his mother, Monica
" Paul's associate Timothy credits the young man's mother
and grandmother (Eunice and Lois)
But studies I've read over the years however, suggests that the
male role in your child's life is significant and should not be
overlooked.
The truth is, however, that "all (not just fathers), all
have sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23. Today in Romans 5 Paul says of all human nature that
it is weak, ungodly, sinful, and prone to be an enemy of God.
He is not alone in that judgment. Centuries earlier Jeremiah the
prophet (17:9) said of the human capacity, "the heart is
deceitful above all things and desperately corrupt; who can understand
it?"
We have a
tendency to want to see some good in everyone. Like George Lukas,
we'd like to think that deep down inside there is some good just
wanting to get out. Do you remember Luke Skywalker's father? Deep
inside Darth Vadar (dark father) was a Jedi Knight that needed
to resurface, that needed to come into the light. (So much for
the theology of Star Wars today.)
But God knows
our condition-it's never changed. As far back as the days of Noah,
"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil--continually," Genesis 6:5. And for this reason
God judged the earth, and there was the Great Deluge. Throughout
scripture God weighs and judges the thoughts and the intentions
of men's hearts; and throughout scripture the human condition
is found wanting. All are sinners, all are fallen short of the
glory of God.
This is the
case even when it comes to those fragile parents whom we know
and love. If we took a look, not at the dark father (Darth Vadar)
but the father of the faithful, Abraham-the one whom Paul sets
up as an example for us all (last Sunday), we will see that even
he may just be the chief of sinners. This fellow not once but
twice passed off his beloved wife Sarah, as merely a sister so
that he might receive favorable consideration from Egypt's pharaoh
and some other ruler. Yes, "all have sinned," Father
Abraham, our own fathers. All are in need of that grace and mercy
which through faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ. He
is the free gift, so much unlike what we deserve it's not funny.
We earn death and hell, we receive from God forgiveness and eternal
life because of grace-undeserved love, mercy, pity. This grace,
God pours into our lives while we were still sinners. God didn't
wait for us "get good." At the right time, in God's
moment, Jesus was offered up as the sacrifice which pays for our
sins. At the right time, in God's moment, Christ died us. Now
there's a gift for father's day that you can't match.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Hamburg, NJ 07419
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