Crestwood, Missouri: Pastor Rev. Hans Fiene of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crestwood, Missouri, highlights the timeless wisdom the Bible offers for this unique occasion as Father’s Day draws near. Fiene emphasizes the importance of fatherhood—both divine and earthly—in forming our conceptions of love and faith, quoting Ephesians 3:14–17.
Fatherhood has a divine origin, as demonstrated by St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” These verses, according to Fiene, show how earthly fathers are supposed to emulate our heavenly father’s love. It is important to consider this since children frequently understand God’s love through the deeds of their earthly fathers.
Fiene responds to a typical criticism made by atheists, who contend that it is conceited to think that a vast cosmos was made for trivial humans. He refutes this by drawing a comparison between the argument and minimizing kidney stone discomfort because of the stones’ size. According to Fiene, the real tragedy is that these feelings of doubt are frequently the result of individual experiences with absentee or unloving fathers.
“A weakened understanding of a loving God is often the outcome when fathers fail to love their children,” says Fiene. On the other hand, a caring, giving, and protecting father helps his kids understand what it means to love God. This protective paternal position is a reflection of God’s supreme offering of His Son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity from sin.
In her message, Fiene expresses sympathy to people who have been mistreated by their dads and asks that they find solace in the unending love of God. He emphasizes that seeing God’s love is not a crazy idea because he saw the heavenly love reflected in his own father’s deeds. In order to strengthen their confidence in God’s unending love, Fiene wishes that on this Father’s Day, his children and others would be able to witness the same love reflected in their earthly fathers.