“…the crisis of fatherhood, in its many forms, is at the root of most disorders in this late stage of Western civilization. And the root is intimately connected to the loss of our consciousness of the hierarchical nature of the created order. Large numbers of people not only seem unable to believe in God, but also cannot conceptualize Him in their thoughts and their hearts. The icon in the heart—the icon of fatherhood—is either damaged or absent entirely. Sin and error have contributed to this, and also two major world wars and the loss of millions of good men on all sides, as well as the social and sexual revolutions of the 1960’s onwards, and the rise of powerful modern media as the principle shaper of both consciousness and conscience—as Pope Benedict has called it, the “dictatorship of moral relativism.” Man has placed himself in the role of master and creator of his world, in his personal life and his societies, without reference to the actual moral order of the real universe. There is a radical disconnect not only in his thinking but in his perceptions of reality itself.

This creates an interior void which becomes evident in his psychology, his emotional life, his intellect, his spirituality, his cultural expressions. The consequences are more than “mere” abstractions, because all of these dimensions of the human person express themselves in acts. 

The development of an authentic civilization of love will begin when man turns again toward the truth that the cosmos, in descending order from the angelic dimension through humanity and down into the subatomic level, is a hierarchy, over which reigns the Holy Trinity. If we would learn again how to be true fathers, then we must turn to God the Father and ask him for this desperately needed grace, for he is the source of all subsidiary fatherhood manifested in human life, including fatherhood in family, in priestly ministry, and also in other forms of spiritual fatherhood.”

From an interview with artist and novelist Michael O’Brien by Fabrizio Rossi in Italian newspaper Avvenire. (Image: Toy Bird by Michael O’Brien studiobrien.com)

For those who wonder why God doesn’t fix all the wrong in the world right now, C. S. Lewis wrote that when the Author walks onto the stage, the play is over. That is true, but narrow…

God is patient and longsuffering, and does not want anyone to perish. But this disregards the major theme of the Bible, which is the pattern of growth from childhood to maturity. Salvation is certainly central to us, but it is a means to an end, and that end is our development from red earth to glorious metal, from craven sinners to wise judges who not only reflect the Solomon-glory of Christ, but are useful to God. Passover is just the beginning.

The world is a place of Adam-mediators, those who stand in the gap between God and others and demonstrate both His goodness and severity. This requires time, and allows for failure.

80% of the world’s hungry children today are in countries with food surplusses… Why does God not step in and oust these corrupt or inept governments?

That mother and her children, beaten almost daily by an alcoholic husband… Why does God not step in and deal with him?

That minister who intimidates, or fleeces, or even molests people in his congregation… Why does God not step in and incinerate his corrupt priesthood?

That woman who leaves her infant children alone in the car while she spends her grocery money at the casino… Why does God not step in and deal with her?

The answer is, all those in power are mediators. Every one of us has a God-given dominion, and God gives us time to make it flourish–or not. Then, He does step in to evaluate us eventually, in His perfect timing. This is the pattern of Covenants in the Bible. All government, all marriage, all parenting, all employment, all ministry is by nature a covenantal privilege.

Of course, as we also see in the Bible, when God doesn’t step in (such as in Habakkuk), He is accused of being unjust. And then when He does step in (such as in Ezekiel), He is also accused of being unjust. By faith, we know that God is just when He speaks and blameless when He judges (Ps. 51:4) because He has shown us our own condition.

We have a Great Mediator in heaven Who is all wise and all powerful. He knew exactly what He was doing with the domain given to Him at His ascension to the throne of David and it resulted in purification and ascension for the saints, and destruction for His enemies, as He threatened. It brought about the end of the Old Covenant.

Now ruling the world in a similar fashion, we can be confident that He not only knows what He is doing and will bring it to a similarly glorious end for the saints, but that as mediators–Temple bowls–we can approach Him for all the wisdom and strength we need to feed and correct in our given domains, as part of bringing about that glorious end–the victorious end of the New Covenant.

It is certainly the duty of a Christian man to ascend higher than merely to seek and secure the salvation of his own soul . . . If we wish to belong to Christ, let no man be anything for himself. But let us all be whatever we are for each other.

- John Calvin

The church can learn a lot from gangs. Really. Men join gangs for one reason: they want a father figure.

Many troubled men grew up without strong male role models. But these men do not turn to church because the congregations they’ve attended are predominantly female, and the spirit of the place feels so warm, nurturing and gentle. Men need a masculine path to Christ. Young men crave a wilder, more demanding faith, and don’t mind the spur of discipline when it’s administered in love.

What if our churches were structured differently? What if the basic unit of the church were not the committee, but the band of brothers? What if every congregation had men leading other men to maturity in Christ? What if these spiritual fathers were challenging young men, and sending them out on dangerous missions (as a gang leader might send out a young initiate)?

Today, a young single man 18-35 is the person least likely to show up in church. Do you think a church based on spiritual fathering might turn that around?

David Murrow
www.churchformen.com