The father of five children had won a toy at a raffle. He called his kids together to ask which one should have the present. "Who is the most obedient?" he asked. "Who never talks back to mother? And "Who does everything mother says?" Five small voices replied in unison, "Okay daddy! You get the toy."
In the warm interplay of emotions in a family there are subtle shades of distinction. "Fathers and lovers" might suggest spousal love; perhaps in these troubled times it could, unfortunately, suggest infidelities; or it could suggest that fathers are also lovers.
Fathers and mothers create a mystery in love. The two becoming one flesh is applied to Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:32). Christ and we become one flesh in the Church. We are the body of Christ in a mystical way. This requires some effort on our part.
Lovers of Dad easily refers to Mothers who spend themselves in loving service to their children, their spouses and the household and world at large. That's a great deal of "spending", and Mother Church is perhaps best understood in this way.
The Great Father of all is, of course, a lover. God embraces us in a mystery of love, having sent his son as a lover of the world. That great mystery unfolds in our lives as we mature and accept the new covenant or agreement of love.
How love passes from father to child is best illustrated with a real life example. When one of my infant grandchildren is restlessly crying because of teething or exhaustion, my son picks her up in his arms and dances to the music of a CD, and Kaeley settles right down to rest and contentment.
In an earlier article I quoted from Luther Vandross's song "Dance With My Father" in which he expresses the following: Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and thenSpin me around 'til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved.
Back when we were children, many of us "danced with" our heavenly Father. Our days of innocence and joy included regular "church-going" with mom and dad. We were close to our parents and, in a like manner, we were dancing with our Heavenly Father by the joy we shared with our parents on earth.
We were Sons and Lovers, Daughters and Lovers. Vandross concludes his song with these words:
If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with himI'd play a song that would never, ever end'Cause I'd love, love, loveTo dance with my father again.
Rest assured if this scene evokes deep emotions in the reader, as it does in me who has lost an earthly father, then perhaps it is time to accept Jesus' hand and to dance with God who longs to "spin us" in joy until we settle down from our pain or worldly exhaustion.
