Yep, today’s Father’s Day, another one of those weird days for so many. This week I have been thinking a little bit about the Southern Baptist move this week to disallow churches who affirm women pastors and just how dumb it all is, how many people across so many realities are continually harmed by male-dominated systems that perpetuate the lies of white & straight, & Christian & male supremacy…
And, thankfully, how there are amazing men of all ages and faith expressions and life realities who are actually bringing goodness to the people, organizations, families, and relationships they are in.
I know so many of them! And I am deeply grateful for the healing that has come from being in relationship with them.
We need more men who heal and not harm.
Who do their internal work.
Who are smart enough to listen to wisdom from beyond themselves.
Who affirm, encourage, and sacrifice their egos & positions on behalf of others.
Who keep learning.
Who keep listening.
Who keep growing.
Who keep practicing, stumbling, bumbling, and humbling.
Who lead with love.
Who help some of us heal the wounds of our fathers and our faith.
We need more men who heal and not harm.
This father’s day, I am holding all of us with conflicting feelings of loss & pain & grief. May we honor those wounds in any way we need.
And, also—if it’s possible this season to celebrate the men in our lives who have some how, some way, helped us heal, grow, lead, love, be free.
While I’ve got an ugly list of harms by men over my 56 years, there are also many who have helped me heal. I married one, I made four, my dad’s last 4 months changed me forever, and I have a tender and beautiful list of male friends whose faithful and true and healthy presence in my life and story has formed and strengthened me and helped me keep on keeping on.
Grateful for that today.
Here’s to more men that heal.
The world sure does need them.
Love from Colorado today.
#fathersday #thepracticeofhealing