No one gets into the world without a Dad.
This is an important point to establish because today is my daughter’s birthday. I want to remind her of the vital role I once played in her existence.
Although I know I will pay dearly for this, as she waxes eloquent in her own blogs, I am compelled and I must express myself.
No one gets on this earth unless some man, somewhere, cooperates with the necessary mechanics of reproduction. Our parents are the source of our earthly, biological life.
Since God made us in His own image and likeness, the way He designed human reproduction must be at least a crude copy of His own creative urge.
How can that be, since God is a spirit?
Well, we know that God creates in two ways, just as we do.
God creates by making things, just as we do when we paint a picture or build a piece of furniture. However, God also creates by “begetting” children, not exactly as we do when we unite with our mates to produce our own children, but in some spiritual way that makes it possible for us t0 call Him, “father.”
When human beings make something, it demonstrates the personality of the maker. However, when human beings begat children, they give to those children a part of their own nature.
God “makes” things.
He also and God “begets” children.
We do these things too because He created us to be like Him.
Obviously, the way God “makes” and “begets” are different than the way we do those things.
God speaks things into existence.
I can’t do that; I’ve tried.
If I want a cabin in the mountains, I have to plan a way to get the property and the materials and then actually build it.
For you and me, dreaming doesn’t make it so. With God, it does.
That’s the difference in how we make things and how God makes things.
Nonetheless, when He does make something, we can see His nature and personality through that thing. Sometimes, we have to look long and deep to do that. I have a difficult time seeing God in an aardvark, but he’s there somewhere because He made it.
If I really take the time to look at a mountain, really look at it, I will see something of the nature of God.
When I really look at a tree, I will understand something new about God.
A lion and a lamb will reveal more things about God than a tree or an aardvark.
When I take the time to really know a man or woman, I see the nature of God in a much more profound way than when I meditate on any other part of nature.
A man or woman has emotions.
People think.
People make decisions.
People love and hate.
All of those characteristics of human life reveal aspects of God, who created us. This is true of every man and woman, whether or not he or she has experienced the new birth.
God’s being shines through everything He made.
However, to those who receive Him, God gives a new kind of life. After that, they are not only created, they are begotten.
That is another reason we call God “Father.”
In his notes on St. Thomas Aquinas, Peter Kreeft once reminded us that the word “understand” means to know “what stands under.” Knowing what stands under the Christian custom of calling God, “father” leads to wisdom. This wisdom teaches us how to behave toward our God, and toward our earthly fathers. It also teaches us how to become the sort of father we read about yesterday in the One Year Bible, who could give such advice as this:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.” Proverbs 4:7-10
Happy birthday to my beloved daughter. May she acquire wisdom, which is the pearl of great price and may her children rise up and call her blessed.
This is an important point to establish because today is my daughter’s birthday. I want to remind her of the vital role I once played in her existence.
Although I know I will pay dearly for this, as she waxes eloquent in her own blogs, I am compelled and I must express myself.
No one gets on this earth unless some man, somewhere, cooperates with the necessary mechanics of reproduction. Our parents are the source of our earthly, biological life.
Since God made us in His own image and likeness, the way He designed human reproduction must be at least a crude copy of His own creative urge.
How can that be, since God is a spirit?
Well, we know that God creates in two ways, just as we do.
God creates by making things, just as we do when we paint a picture or build a piece of furniture. However, God also creates by “begetting” children, not exactly as we do when we unite with our mates to produce our own children, but in some spiritual way that makes it possible for us t0 call Him, “father.”
When human beings make something, it demonstrates the personality of the maker. However, when human beings begat children, they give to those children a part of their own nature.
God “makes” things.
He also and God “begets” children.
We do these things too because He created us to be like Him.
Obviously, the way God “makes” and “begets” are different than the way we do those things.
God speaks things into existence.
I can’t do that; I’ve tried.
If I want a cabin in the mountains, I have to plan a way to get the property and the materials and then actually build it.
For you and me, dreaming doesn’t make it so. With God, it does.
That’s the difference in how we make things and how God makes things.
Nonetheless, when He does make something, we can see His nature and personality through that thing. Sometimes, we have to look long and deep to do that. I have a difficult time seeing God in an aardvark, but he’s there somewhere because He made it.
If I really take the time to look at a mountain, really look at it, I will see something of the nature of God.
When I really look at a tree, I will understand something new about God.
A lion and a lamb will reveal more things about God than a tree or an aardvark.
When I take the time to really know a man or woman, I see the nature of God in a much more profound way than when I meditate on any other part of nature.
A man or woman has emotions.
People think.
People make decisions.
People love and hate.
All of those characteristics of human life reveal aspects of God, who created us. This is true of every man and woman, whether or not he or she has experienced the new birth.
God’s being shines through everything He made.
However, to those who receive Him, God gives a new kind of life. After that, they are not only created, they are begotten.
That is another reason we call God “Father.”
In his notes on St. Thomas Aquinas, Peter Kreeft once reminded us that the word “understand” means to know “what stands under.” Knowing what stands under the Christian custom of calling God, “father” leads to wisdom. This wisdom teaches us how to behave toward our God, and toward our earthly fathers. It also teaches us how to become the sort of father we read about yesterday in the One Year Bible, who could give such advice as this:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.” Proverbs 4:7-10
Happy birthday to my beloved daughter. May she acquire wisdom, which is the pearl of great price and may her children rise up and call her blessed.
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