William Walsham, the 19th century songwriter penned these words in his famous composition, “It Is a Thing Most Wonderful,” “I sometimes think about the cross And shut my eyes and try to see The cruel nails and crown of thorns And Jesus crucified for me. But even could I see him die, I could see but a little part Of that great love, which, like fire, Is always burning in His heart.” The gift of being a father to two small boys is at once an amazing experience and a sobering responsibility. Their minds are both an eager sponge and an empty slate within which ideology, opinion, and life perspective shall one day dwell. The beginning of a little boy’s tutelage comes at the knee of a father. As my two sons, Charlie and Levi deftly advance from the toddler stage into that of a little boy, there are some integral concepts that are being imprinted upon their young hearts and minds. Probably the most important responsibility of fatherhood is the necessity of building a strong godly foundation at the outset of a child’s life. Proverbs 13:22 lets us know that a wise man leaves an inheritance for his children. Many times in our mind’s eye, we take this statement to mean that material wealth ought to be passed from one generation to the next. Perhaps that word, “inheritance” could be taken also to mean “heritage.” The place of transference of that heritage is in the observance and emulation of the father’s life epistle as read by his children. Coupled together with the sacred moments on a father’s knee, the example and words of a father form a two room schoolhouse in which the mind of a child is shaped. It was on my knee that Charlie and Levi learned of Jesus. It was on my knee that they heard the story of the Cross. On the knee of their daddy they learned how to count, discern colors, and recognize shapes. While teaching my two boys their shapes, there was one vitally important shape that I was sure to include. It was the shape of the cross. Today when we drive down the street and see a telephone pole, it is common to hear Levi proclaim from the back seat, “Look Daddy, it’s a cross like Jesus died on!” A few weeks ago while in New York City, Charlie looked up from his stoller as I pushed him amidst the hustle and bustle of the city streets and stated, “Daddy, there are lots of crosses on these buildings.” Where others saw structures built upon foundations constructed by men, Charlie saw the cross, the foundation of redemption for all of mankind. Where others may see telephone poles and street lights and think of manmade communication or artificial light, Levi sees the cross which represents the ultimate place of communication and illumination to all of mankind. Malcolm Muggeridge wrote in his book, “Jesus Rediscovered,” “Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of a cross-not necessarily a crucifix; maybe two pieces of wood accidentally nailed together, on a telegraph pole, for instance-and suddenly my heart would stand still.” At the dawning of creation, the cross was in the mind of God. With every passing generation, God has dealt with mankind with the cross in focus. So it is that as a parent, we must always be cross-focused. As an employee, every decision must be made with the cross in mind. What others see through the tainted lens of pessimism, we must view from the crimson stained perspective of the cross. When is that last time you looked at a snapshot of everyday life and saw the cross? —-Jonathan Sanders
