Father's Day Prayer

Eternal God,
Father of all mercies,
Mother of all love.

Grant to all fathers this day your abiding mercies.
Flow through them, I pray, that they might love this world.
To love their biological children, for sure.
Their spiritual children, as well, and that's all the children of the world.

Because love cannot be selective.
Love cannot say: "My own, and not yours."
Love cannot turn a blind eye to the child at our border.
Love, if it's love, is expansive and welcoming and dangerous.
Dangerous for those who dare to love.
Dangerous for those who tell lies about our world.

The children at the border cry out.
Let no father, this day, go unmoved by their sadness and tears.
Let no father find joy isolated from reality.
Joy without the tempering of a child's cry for help.
Is no joy at all.
But only pretense and avoidance.
A game played by the privileged, a game no one can ever win.

Eternal God, the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Eternal Mother of the Nations.
Father/Mother of all that is right and good and just.
Bless the fathers of the world.

That fathers everywhere would say.
"All are mine."
"Every tear a child sheds I will dry."
"Every little one belongs to my dear family."

"I am the father of all the children."

My prayer, O God.
For this Father's Day.
Amen!