Displaying items by tag: Father's Day

by Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International

Boys will be boys. I know this because I have two of them.

And I am still one. You’d know this because of my natural inclination to turn a wrapping paper tube into a sword. Maybe even a lightsaber if I add the appropriate sound effects.

My sons do the same thing. My daughter, not so much.

But just as boys have a natural inclination to fashion ordinary items into imaginary weapons, so has God written on their hearts the call to provide and protect. Unfortunately, our culture has done all it can to distract from this call and delay manhood. Even worse has been the intentional redefinition of manhood into perpetual adolescence, something that would be wholly unfamiliar to the generations that preceded us.

Many men wear a façade of casual disregard. This is what we might see most in our pregnancy help effort. If we’re not careful, we’ll be tempted to disregard him from the equation too quickly. Fortunately, we’ve seen active programming for men grow by 6% in the last two years.  Advocating for these men to be the dads God has called them to be, or being a “Dadvocate,” should be part of the fabric of our work.  Whether he responds or not, we should lean into what we know the Holy Spirit is doing – calling him to be part of the life he created.

After all, this is what our Father God does. He actively creates and looks to perform His Word. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This is a very familiar passage and a great theme that contrasts the work of the devil with the work of our Messiah.

Yet, if you read the entire chapter of John 10, you’ll see how the theme of the Father and Jesus as one is in play. This is the chapter where He says, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30), a statement that so angered those listening that they picked up stones to stone Him.

Yes, the world today is angered by the work of the Father.

But take heart, your work advocating for dads is a work of the Father Himself. Not all will listen, but those who do will join the work of the God of the Universe. And you will rejoice seeing the work of the great Dadvocate! 

by Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International

Yes, I know that Disney has veered from the wholesome family framework that made for such successes as Swiss Family Robinson, The Incredibles, and Pinocchio’s Geppetto. Indeed, much of their live-action material can hardly find even a single father figure worth emulating.

But there is one example that arises from the Star Wars universe.

The massive hit, The Mandalorian (especially season one), burst on the scene in 2019 with a new face, err, helmet, with Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, the title role. (Note: For the six of you who haven’t heard of the story at all, there are slight spoilers ahead.) The Mandalorian is a bounty hunter, a profession not known for its genteel manners and soft people skills.

The storyline finds the Mandalorian on a bounty hunt for a particular creature whom the world soon knows only as “Baby Yoda.” (If I need to explain who Yoda is, you should just stop reading now and watch and come back after you watched Star Wars movies 5, 6, 1, 2, and 3, in that order.)

The cuteness factor of baby Yoda captures hearts of all kinds, including that of the grizzled bounty hunter, Din Djarin, the Mandalorian. For the entirety of the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Grogu is referred to as “the child.” Masterfully rendered through puppetry and computer graphics imagery (CGI) the character evokes powerful aspects of a child. We only learn, later, that baby Yoda is named Grogu.

What follows is the Mandalorian’s transformation from bounty hunter to an unexpected father figure for Grogu, a.k.a. baby Yoda. This includes integrating into the clan-like culture of Mandalore. “You are a clan of two” the Armorer of the warrior race declares.

Just like some of the dads we encounter in our pregnancy help outreach, the Mandalorian is called to take up a mantle he did not plan on. He’s uncomfortable and even clumsy in how he steps into the role. But soon the call to protect and provide is stronger than what even his own culture has taught him. “Wherever I go, he goes,” says Din Djarin casting aside the lone wolf nature of his bounty hunter persona.

Dads are called to be providers and protectors of their children. Father’s Day is a time to celebrate that call and the efforts all fathers make toward that high and lofty aspiration. Some do so better than others. All dads pale in comparison to the unconditional love of our Father in Heaven (Jeremiah 31:3).

Of course, dads are not just those who contribute to the genetics of a baby. They are those who take up the mantle of being involved in the life of a child. Along with being a birth father and everyday dad from that moment, fathers arise through adoption or even mentorship. Fatherhood happens in traditional and blended families. Living under the same roof or actively engaged at a distance.

Men demonstrate fatherhood with intentional activities and exemplary actions. In that way, the Mandalorian demonstrated fathering for the "child.” Our Father in Heaven surely inspired the catchphrase for the show, “This is the way.”