One of my favorite Father’s Day gifts is this little statue that my sons gave me, years ago, when they were little boys. It’s made of painted stones that are glued together somehow to look like a person. Mine has a moustache, blue eyes, and brown hair—which back then would have been my hair color. The figure is holding a sign that says, “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.” It’s been years since anyone called me “Daddy,” and the truth is that  not all men can be fathers, and the pain of that is something that we are only just beginning to acknowledge, but the sentiment still means something. Being a Dad involves more than biology. It’s an emotional connection—a decision that’s made to care, to love.

That’s something that is driven home in other countries where Father’s Day is celebrated in March and is linked to the day honoring Joseph, the father of Jesus. As the Bible makes clear, Joseph had no biological relationship to Jesus, but that in no way diminished Joseph. Quite the contrary, even though Joseph knew that he was not Jesus’ father, Joseph is presented in the Bible as making a decision to raise Jesus as his own son, caring for him, loving him. In other words, there is no doubt that Joseph was Jesus’ Dad.

If there is anywhere in this world another human being who calls you, “Dad,” or who thinks of you that way, then you have received the greatest honor that you can ever receive from another human being. And to you, whether you are a father or not, I hope that this Father’s Day you can give thanks for the gift of being somebody’s Dad.

 

–Pastor Don Steele