06.16.24 "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven"

Today is Father’s Day. It is a day traditionally when we honor our biological fathers and give a shout out to all father’s everywhere. Yet what about our Heavenly Father, our Creator?

ACIM uses the word “Father” a whopping 867 times. Wow! Mostly these are references to the very traditional Christian idea of God the Father, as in the first person of the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). I hear a lot of ACIM students trying to move beyond the traditional Christian idea, but perhaps we shouldn’t be moving beyond it until we at least have absorbed it thoroughly. Or – maybe we shouldn’t be moving beyond it at all. 867 mentions is a whole lot of grounding in a traditional religious idea. We should ask ourselves if Jesus actually wants us to move beyond this concept.

"Forgive us our illusions, Father, and help us to accept our true relationship with You in which there are no illusions and where none can ever enter." (OrEd.Tx.16.81)

Sure sounds like a lot more acceptance is required than moving past. We are in relationship with the Father and this relationship has to be acknowledged and nurtured. What can and should we expect from our Heavenly Father?

"A loving father does not let his child harm himself or choose his own destruction. He may ask for injury, but his father will protect him still. And how much more than this does your Father love His Son?” (OrEd.Mn.29.6)

Seems quite clear that we can and should expect protection. Is this where we turn first for protections? It is not doctors and medicine that should be our first line of support. It should be our Father in Heaven. It is not government and the social safety net government provides that should be our knee-jerk, “go to” when in need. It should be our loving Father in Heaven.

And so today we honor all Father’s but let us not forget to honor the one true Father we all share who protects and nurtures us every moment, "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven.”

32 min.
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