Father’s Day is a secular holiday with religious roots. It all started in 1909 when Sonora Smart Dodd heard a Mother’s Day sermon at Central Methodist Episcopal Church in Spokane, Washington. Since Dodd and her siblings were raised by their father after their mother’s passing, Sonora was motivated to honor all fathers with a special day. She suggested her idea to local religious leaders and word spread throughout the city. On June 19, 1910, many churches in Spokane celebrated the first Father’s Day with sermons praising male parenting skills. As more towns heard the story, the observance of Father’s Day spread throughout the nation. In 1972, Richard Nixon officially established Father’s Day as a national holiday.

The impact of fatherlessness

For many, Father’s Day is a day of celebration when children honor their fathers by giving gifts and spending time together. However, some may consider Father’s Day to be a less joyous occasion if their fathers are absent from their lives or have a negative impact on their families. According to the National Center for Fathering, more than twenty million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father. Millions more have fathers that are present physically but absent emotionally. Studies show that children without fathers are more likely to become involved in drug and alcohol abuse, drop out of school and suffer from health and emotional problems. Fathers are meant to provide strength and support for their families, so when a father figure is nonexistent, children and teenagers are affected.

Everybody makes mistakes

Whether absent or present, all fathers are imperfect and make mistakes from time to time. God commands children to honor their parents, despite their flaws and shortcomings. God also calls us to respect our parents and those in authority over us, even if we disagree with them sometimes. In a relationship based on mutual respect and forgiveness, parents and children can live in harmony as God desires while also honoring the Heavenly Father.

Question of the day: When do you find it hard to respect your parents?
Focal scriptures: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Genesis 9:18-29; Ephesians 6:1-4

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