This Sunday we celebrated Father's Day.

A lot of people take issue with God presenting Himself as Father. They project unto Him all the failings and foibles of their earthly fathers... including the mysoginy of so many men whether or not they are fathers.

However, I would challenge everyone to see God as the Ideal Father, and try to call the men in our lives to live up to His standard. Let us create earthly fathers in the image of our Heavenly Father, not the other way around.

God is masculine in His characteristics of initiator, the one who "calls" us out to be more than we think we can do. He is feminine in His characteristics of nurturer, embracing us with His hesed or lovingkindess. This is the expression of tender love that rejoices over the beloved with no expectations, unconditional caring.

We are called to be His bride. We are to welcome his approach, and choose to dwell with Him and in Him. Our response to His doing, rests in being. One could say that this is one of the main differences between a religion like Islam and Christianity. Islam calls the followers of Allah to do, to work at trying to serve and please him. In Christianity, we are called to be, to be Yahweh's children, to respond to His voice, to embrace Him back. It is being versus doing. Even more importantly, in Christianity we are called to be like Jesus, God in the flesh, who did nothing but what He saw the Father doing. In other words, we don't do anything for, but we are called to do all things with Him.

Today, regardless of how you feel about your earthly father, send up to your Heavenly Father a hearty "Happy Father's Day!" This week, celebrate His love for you, and spend some quality time sitting in His presence, allowing His love to wash over you.