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Today is Father’s Day, a day to honor the approximately 70 million fathers currently living in the United States.* I suppose that number includes both baby daddies and real fathers. Being a father is certainly more than being involved in a child’s conception. Fathers take the time to love us, provide for us and train us for adulthood. How will you honor your father or the men who were like fathers to you?
The first known observance to honor fathers occurred on July 5, 1908 when a Virginia church held an event to honor men killed in an explosion at the Fairmont Coal Company mines.* But the annual observance actually began in Washington state the following year. People have been honoring fathers on this day in different ways since that time.
One interesting event occurred in 1916, when President Wilson honored fathers in a snazzy new way. Thanks to the telegraph, he pushed a button in Washington D.C. and a flag unfurled in Spokane, Washington, thousands of miles away. One of the first instances of remote control.* Ahh, the remote control. Fathers still like those today!
Of course, we don’t need a national observance to know honoring fathers is good. We have the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NIV)
Take time today to honor your father.
*”Father’s Day 2022,” History, May 31, 2022, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/fathers-day.
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.