This is on behalf of the Spiritual Fathers who miss their sons and daughters on Father’s Day but don’t know how to say it.
People have no idea the responsibility of Spiritual Fathering. We have to raise grown folk that come to us with all of their previous baggage, mess, sin, secrets and even current insecurities and dysfunction. We marry their living, we bury their dead, we grieve with them and even celebrate with them in their victories when our victories are far and in between. We help pay their bills. We sow into their lives everything from our time and energy. We try and support their promotions, retirements, inductions, you name it.
Without solicitation, they call us their fathers and pledge their allegiance. There declare their love publicly and privately on and off of video. They mark the pages of our photo albums with their smiling faces at some of the most memorable moments that we experience in life. “And then” something happens. There is a rebuke, a correction, a conflict, a support issue, a doctrinal difference or some spirit of narcissism that comes in and all of a sudden the Father is no longer the Father?
So on Father’s day the spiritual Father sits back and reflects on those who he has helped, prayed for, prayed with and demonstrated love to publicly and privately and wonders, what kind of gospel is this that allows people to walk in and out of their lives with no remorse, regret or desire to reconcile whatever led to a severing of a Father and son/daughter relationship.
Many Spiritual Fathers today grieve over the way those who once honored them now dishonor them with their absence, lack of respect and boasting even on Facebook.
So on behalf of all Spiritual Fathers who miss their sons and daughters on this Father’s Day and don’t know how to say it:
Sons and daughters, you are missed. We love you and nothing has changed on our end. We may not have been the best fathers or said all of the right things or treated you like you “WANTED” to be treated but for the most part, we did the best we could with all of the others things we do. Forgive us so that God can really bless you. Now you can either come home or take time out today to give us the respect that you owe us for what we have contributed to and added to your lives.
1 Cor 4:15 NLT
15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.
Happy Father’s Day to all of the Spiritual Fathers out there.
1 Thess 5:12-13
12 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. 13 Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!
—Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin