Sunday 18th June is Father’s Day in the U.K., Canada and U.S.A. Mothers have a special day on which the virtues of Motherhood are celebrated, so why not a day on which Fatherhood is celebrated. If the emphasis of family life is placed on the mother then the danger is that we reduce Fatherhood to the conjugal act. Parenting is about two people with unique roles in bringing up children.

1. A Father is a husband
The Preface to the Christian marriage Service says that ‘The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together in the delight and tenderness of sexual union and joyful commitment to the end of their lives. It is given as the foundation of Family life in which children are nurtured..’ Anything less is just an arrangement. If a couple cannot make a binding commitment to each other in matrimony then the foundation for family life is rather frail. Things can go wrong in a relationship but the model for marriage is commitment. Britain is paying a huge social price because the institution of marriage has been allowed to decline. Being a father is to be a responsible and supportive parent.

2. A Father is someone who loves
Jesus introduced us to the idea of seeing God as father. He lived his whole life in a personal relationship with God as father. Jesus said “This is my commandment; love on another… what I command you is to love on another.” We live in a very selfish age where there seems to be so much hatred and division. Within a marriage a husband has an equal responsibility to love and to cherish. Children need to know that their parents love each other and that they are wanted.

3. A Father is someone who cares
An important part of being a father is to teach and guide your children as to what is an acceptable mode of behaviour. The best way is by setting an example. A Father should care about their Children and spend time with them.

So let us celebrate the good things of being a father. Someone who is fair, faithful, forgiving, able, accepting, thoughtful, honest, embracing, reasonable, responsive. Let us thank God for all dads.

Mark Binney