Warning: This is not a gender neutral
message!
INTRODUCTION
Every culture has to have its stories.
Every civilization rests on the
foundation of its origins. Great deeds
and heroes of old inspire those in the
present to move forward with courage
into the future. Prominent among all
those stories and myths are sagas
involving the relationships between
fathers and sons. The quality of those
relationships has proven to be the
determining factor in the quality of the
future.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
In Greek mythology, we have the
interaction between Zeus and his
half-god, half-human son Perseus, who
embarks on a perilous journey to stop
the underworld and its minions from
spreading their evil to Earth as well as
the heavens.
THE AGE OLD CONFLICT
In Jewish history, the interaction
between Abraham and his sons Ishmael and
Isaac has determined both ancient and
modern conflicts that are still
unresolved. Today's Middle East crisis
is just a contemporary manifestation of
the fruit of flawed fathering on behalf
of Abraham, who ran ahead of God and
produced a son called Ishmael, who was
not a part of God's original plan.
Ishmael became the father of the
Arab/Muslim nations; Isaac was the
father of Israel.
THE
EAGLE
Out of Roman culture, there is a story
called the Eagle, recently made into a
movie, which tells of a son who tries to
restore his father's honor. There is
also the epic movie Gladiator that
revolves around two rivals for a
father's favor. Roman culture was
replete with ancestor worship, an
aberration of honoring parents, examples
of which appear in both these films.
MODERN DAY PARABLES
Western pop culture is riddled with
stories about the interaction between
fathers and sons. Movies, the parables
of our time, often center around this
theme. Among them, 'The Patriot,'
'Sanctum,' 'Robin Hood,' 'Inception' and
'The Kingdom of Heaven.'
THE HELM OF DESTINY
It is the relationship between father
and son that is at the helm of destiny,
impacting its direction more than
anything else! Scripture agrees that the
future depends on healthy interaction
between parents and children, and that
is a two-way street!
"Honor your father and your mother, as
the Lord your God has commanded you,
that your days may be long, and that it
may be well with you in the land which
the Lord your God is giving you."
Deuteronomy 5:16
"And you, fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in
the training and admonition of the
Lord." Ephesians 4:6
PAY IT FORWARD!
We can engineer changes in the physical
landscape that might persist for a time
but inevitably, nature will take it
back! Change a heart and it might last
forever. It is the duty of fathers to
change the hearts of their sons and
daughters, admonishing and encouraging
them to embrace the best possible
future. Only the soul can carry the
eternal! Material things are all subject
to corruption. You can only leave
something lasting in others!
