Toward Fatherhood

In the beginning, God created relational metaphors.

He created fathers.

He created marriage.

God created sisters and brothers and cousins and friends.

He introduced us to children.

Now why did he do that?

Human relationships aren’t the alternative to closeness with God; they are his heaven-facing mirrors. They teach us about God’s nature, using flesh-and-blood textbooks.

We were created in God’s image in a real world, and our real-world relationships are part of that original design. Fundamentally, these real-world relationships are imperfect but real reflections of God. Like us. One Creator formed physical and spiritual and relational realms; by nature they are reflective of him, and of each other.

So then, shouldn’t our relationship with Jesus make sense in this physical, relational world?

These are messages I’ve heard from Christians about God in recent times:

Suffering is endurable because it glorifies God.

I must find out God’s will for my every decision in life.

We are God’s “great romance.”

Worship is comparable to ‘spiritual sex’ with God.

Some of these things might sound nutty to you. Some might sound true. Useful. Noble, even. But do they make sense in the real world he created? Does it make sense that my father is pleased whenever I suffer? Would a good dad plan out all my decisions for me - for the rest of my life?

Am I my own father’s romantic interest?

So many of our heartfelt paintings of God entirely miss the essence of being a father’s child. When we miss that essence, we paint strange portraits, surreal forms in misleading hues.

When we use overly-impassioned imagery and extreme proclamations to describe our papa, we muddle up our own perceptions. We make him far off and hard to understand. Worst of all, we obscure him from those who don’t know him yet, or know him well.

What if Christianity makes sense in the real world?

What if the essence of following Jesus is exactly how he described it - a lasting friendship, a new childhood, a relief from burdens?

I believe it is.

What do you believe?