Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.  Psalm 89:15-16 NIV

This blog is written by my bride, Judy. She is the finest Christian I know and walks closely with the Lord.  I call her spirituality a “stream of consciousness” spirituality.  She is aware of God’s presence in all of life, much like the psalmist describes above.  And she writes about it on her blog at whispers@yahoo.com.  Judy’s blogs are practical, full of everyday experiences, and they have encouraged and inspired many people. We often hear reports of how her words were just what someone needed for that day.   

It is amazing to me how the Lord gives Judy something to write each morning.  I listen daily as she shares what she has received from the Lord.  It is simply a “God thing.”  I hope all the men and fathers who read this enjoy what my bride had to say for Father’s Day:

Soon Father’s Day will be upon us, and the stores will be full of shoppers trying to find just the right gift for dad – or at least something he doesn’t already have.  We all had a father, and our hearts remember him on this special day, even if he may no longer be with us.  Today, however, there is a crisis of fatherhood in America as many fathers have opted out of their role and have not been there for their children.  It could have been through divorce, or business pursuits, or occupational challenges, or irresponsibility, etc. 

One of our friends has a 20-year-old son who he has not seen since he was 2, as his ex-wife made sure he can’t locate his son.  Sadly, that son needs to know he has a dad who cares.  We all need the assurance that our dad loves us – and it is especially important in middle school when bullying takes place and we are trying to find out how we fit in.  But it matters at any age that our dad is proud of us, and for so many this is lacking.  That doesn’t mean that dad’s shouldn’t discipline us, for it is also important that dads also set boundaries and have consequences if we go beyond them; it is a way of loving and protecting. 

One man sadly told Al that he remembers the very day his dad gave up on him and no longer disciplined him; he felt lost and that his dad didn’t care.  I was blessed to have a loving father.  I never doubted his love for me; his arms were always open wide to hugs and love.  Al’s dad was absent emotionally and spiritually, although he provided for the physical needs of the family. 

None of us got to choose our dads.  But if you are a dad reading this, you can choose what kind of dad you want your children to remember.  In Eph. 6:4 (ESV), we read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  More than ever today we need fathers who train their children according to God’s ways.  But even when we had (or have) an absent father, we all have a Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, disciplines us when needed, and believes in us.

Challenge for today: Thank your loving Heavenly Father that He is always present, and provides all that you need, even if it was lacking in your earthly father.

Both Bob Dylan and I celebrated our 80th birthdays this year (2021).  He was born in northern Minnesota, where I now live, and I was born in northern Michigan.  We both come from iron mining towns (Hibbing, MN and Negaunee, MI).  We have both lived through some turbulent times… I well remember singing “Blowin’ in the Wind” in the late 60’s.  But that’s about where the similarities end…  Still, I wonder what Bob Dylan’s relationship is to Jesus Christ, particularly because I consider Dylan to be an American prophet speaking to the conscience of our culture. 

Francis Beckwith, who teaches Church-State Studies at Baylor University, has long studied Dylan’s music. “When you listen to Dylan,” notes Beckwith, “you can hear that he has been reading classic literature his whole life.  References to Dante and St. Augustine are as likely to show up as commentary about politics… he was quoting the New Testament [at various stages of his career]…Dylan has also soaked up generations of American music – especially folk, Gospel and blues.” 

Dylan’s title song from the 2012 album “Tempest” is about the Titanic.  “The captain, barely breathing, kneeling at the wheel.  Above him and beneath him, fifty thousand tons of steel…In the dark illumination, he remembered bygone years.  He read the book of Revelation and he filled his cup with tears…There is no understanding…the judgment of God’s hand.”   

Beckwith suggests that Dylan has created a religious narrative about “the arrogance of man” and the “brokenness of our world.”  Unlike our present “cancel culture” he isn’t into destroying or erasing history.  Dylan “keeps returning to ancient truths, traditions and books that many ignore.” He wants to learn from the past.  Instead of a lot of evangelical preaching today, Dylan’s music is filled with “medieval Christian images and literary references”.  I wonder how much of a voice Dylan has in our present “cancel culture” with it focus on “critical race theory.”   He seems to be skeptical regarding human motives and actions. 

You can feel the prophetic lament in Dylan’s words, like those of the prophet Habakkuk.  “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?  Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’  but you do not save?  Why do you have me look at injustice?  Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflict abounds” (Hab. 1:2-3). 

Bob Dylan has agonized over cultural conditions for over 60 years and expressed that agony in many ways.  Throughout his lyrics you can sense the voice of a biblical prophet.  He has not caved to “cancel culture.”  Rather, Dylan gives us a strong dose of lament.  He speaks to the “brokenness of our world.”  He challenges us to consider how we have lost our way.  Jeremiah laments, “But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me…They have stumbled off the ancient highways and walk in muddy paths” (Jer. 16:15).

Dylan is not afraid to speak to pride and arrogance in our culture.  Isaiah warns of pride.  “…The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Is. 2:10).  Dylan gives fair warning of what is ahead if we don’t see our own pride and broken condition.

Prayer for today: Lord, give me eyes to see and ears to hear the pride and arrogance around me and in me. Help me speak in similar ways to “the arrogance of man” and the “brokenness of our world,” while holding fast to and offering words of hope that are rooted in Christ.