The Running Father & the Danger of the Quarrelsome Man
Do not lose heart, fathers! Your sons are never utterly destitute of the “seed of God” once planted.
I am working on revising my little work on fatherhood, published eleven years ago. It’s a rewarding and humbling process, especially to see how my writing has evolved and how much more clearly I understand things now, having been a father for 17 years. I hope subscribers enjoy these revisions, which will eventually be republished with additional chapters (including one on the Singing Father). All paid subscribers will receive a PDF copy of the revised book once it is completed, and I hope to send out several physical copies as well.
If you would like to follow the progress, here is the revised introduction, chapter one on “Fatherhood as Divine Imitation,” chapter two, entitled “Glad Fathers and Glad Sons,” chapter three on “The Proverbial Father,” chapter four on “The Environment of Wisdom for Fatherhood,” and chapter five on “The Role of Fathers in Life and Death.”
For those who are not paid subscribers, I’d be happy to comp you for 90 days so you can follow along. Send me your email via Substack.
Chapter Five
The Prodigal
“Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle.”
—Søren Kierkegaard
The Westminster Confession of Faith is generally known for its tendencies toward abstract propositions. Yet, unexpectedly, in chapter 18.4, we encounter a deeply pastoral theology:
