On this Father’s Day, I want to talk about the biblical understanding of manhood and fatherhood and explore the challenges we see because many men are not fulfilling their divine calling as men and fathers. For this, I want to first speak about one of the crises contributing to much of the hurt and decay in society: the absence of fathers in their children’s life.

Many young and old men struggle with a lack of confidence, direction, and motivation. They are uncertain about their purpose in life. This crisis is particularly evident in young men who are underperforming or opting out of school. According to recent data, they earn the majority of low grades in U.S. schools, and by the eighth grade, only a small percentage are proficient in writing and reading. Instead, they surrender their time and energy to constant leisure: engaging in social media, video games, and explicit content rather than productive activities. Additionally, compounding these issues, we see rising rates of depression and suicide among men of all ages. Drug abuse and overdoses have also surged. These early-life struggles, unfortunately, often persist into adulthood.

Many of these challenges stem not from a lack of intelligence but from the absence of healthy role models to inspire motivation and effort (Institute of Family Studies, 2021).

Did you know that the number of children growing up with only their mothers has doubled since 1968 (United States Census Bureau, 2021)? Furthermore, most children born to women under thirty are entering fatherless homes, which data shows can lead to detrimental outcomes such as increased drug use, crime, educational struggles, poverty, and the likelihood of becoming absentee fathers themselves. (“For Women under 20, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage,” NYT 2012) However, children with an actively engaged father perform better at school and develop healthy emotional intelligence and self-confidence. They are 33 percent less likely to repeat a class and 43 percent more likely to get high grades.

All this points out the harsh truth that we are losing precious boys and young men who find it so difficult to find their place in life. These beautiful lives are wasted because they lack enough people around them to be positive role models, particularly when there are no fathers in their lives.

Dads, can you see, with these few examples, how much your life matters? You have no idea. Your voice, presence, strength, love, and vulnerability are an incredible gift to your children and society at large and much needed.

So, with this in mind, let’s talk about fatherhood and manhood. What does the Bible say about us, men? Let’s turn to Adam, the first man, the first father to answer these questions. His story begins in the book of Genesis 1: 26-31,

“Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Disclosure before I continue: Moms, no discrimination, but today is about dads. Even though this story is about Adam and Eve, I will focus only on Adam since it is Father’s Day.

The story of creation in Genesis teaches us that God created the universe out of chaos and nothing: the light, stars, moon, water, earth, animals, plants, and yes, even mosquitos, which I do not understand. It also tells us the story of God’s power and goodness in creating everything with purpose (again, mosquitos, really?).

But the story of creation was not just about dirt and water, flesh and blood, light and darkness, it is primarily a story of how God created it to be a Temple, that is, God’s dwelling place with everything he created. And the center of creation, of God’s Temple, was humankind.

So, according to Genesis, the whole universe is God’s Temple, and God entrusted Adam with a part of it: Earth, “I give you dominion over the fish, birds, plants and every living thing” (paraphrased). In other words, God made Adam the ruler of creation. But “ruler” not in the sense we are probably thinking. Adam’s assignment was not meant as tyrannical but as a steward and protector. Adam’s calling, responsibility, and purpose in life were to care for and look after life. After all, he was created to reflect God’s image and goodness to all creation, to represent and serve God by caring for what God created.

So, if creation was meant to be a Temple of God’s dwelling place, then Adam was meant to be a priest. His responsibilities as steward and protector were meant to be understood as priestly responsibilities, not as tyrannical or oppressive. I believe this was the first sacrament (holy commandment) for men: to be present in creation and care for it.

However, Adam abdicated his purpose and lost almost everything. But that does not mean God has changed his mind about our role in the world as men. We are still made in God’s image; we are still called to represent and serve God by caring for God’s creation. We still have this sacred commandment to be priests of creation as a God-giving calling and purpose. The apostle Peter speaks to this in 1 Peter 2:9-10,

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

What an amazing statement and connection to the story of Genesis. After the fall, we were indeed in darkness, but after the resurrection, we are called out into the perfect light of Jesus. It is Jesus who restores in us our God-given purpose as creation, particularly as men, as it concerns us today. And this purpose is to be what Adam lost: a royal priesthood.

Now you may be wondering, what does that mean? What does it mean to be a priest? For those who are ordained clergy (like me), a priest is someone who serves God and people, acting as a mouthpiece and bridge between the two and serving and partnering with God to shape this world with love. We are meant to be beacons of hope, kindness, and wisdom, reflecting God’s love and care in our actions and decisions. But not everyone is called to an ordained ministry like I am. However, we all are called to a priestly life. Each man, whether a father or not, is called to this priesthood in his daily life. (Again, though this applies to women in equal terms, I am focusing on the men today.) We are called to be priests right where we are: in our homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. We are called to be stewards in God’s Temple.

Unfortunately, this is where we are getting it wrong. Just like Adam, we have abdicated our calling and purpose as priests, whether by ignorance or willful rejection, and that has led many young and old men to waste their lives and cause harm to others by being bad husbands, absent fathers, ungrateful sons, and toxic human beings. The hardship and suffering we see around us are caused by broken people who were not taught to be good and love.

On top of that, we can also get discouraged by looking at ourselves and seeing little to no value because of where we come from, what we have done, and our own sense of unworthiness. And it does not help when society sometimes pushes us to the side and reduces our masculinity to harmful stereotypes. But let me tell you something, all those things that discourage you (negative voices from outside, internal defeatist thoughts, guilt, or shame) can’t take away what God has put in your soul or change how God created you. God created you as a good man, capable of caring and protecting creation and loving your family. If you think you are lost and can’t see the goodness in you, then you have to lean closer to God and listen to what he is telling you so you can be reclaimed and reshaped into God’s character and purpose.

Men of God, we can bless this world the way God intended in the beginning. It can be a place of goodness, beauty, and life. The world we know and where we live can be better, but it starts with us. Fatherhood and manhood are not about dominance or emotional isolation. It is about stewardship, nurturing, and understanding. It is to be a beacon of love, care, understanding, and respect in our homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and with our sons and daughters. But first, we need to invite and let God shape our souls and character to be the husband, the father, the son, and everything else we were created to be in the beginning.

The first step in this change is to grasp our purpose in life. As men, we are not meaningless or empty. The Bible tells us a different story. It says a man was created in God’s image and called to serve God as a priest of creation. Adam’s story and mission offer us a chance to understand our own purpose, discern our calling, and leave behind the meaninglessness that afflicts so many men today—from teenage to adulthood.

Here is the invitation and good news: We can’t stay where we are, meaning we are not done learning, growing in understanding, and being responsible for this world. Whether we are fathers or not, we are called to this life of service as men in partnership with God. We are still stewards and protectors of God’s Temple of creation. We are co-workers with God in his mission to spread love, peace, and justice in the world. We are called to share in God’s creative work and nurture all people—particularly the vulnerable and neglected.

I know we can do better and more. We have to. Otherwise, the future will be harsher for our children.

So, to all fathers here today, remember that your calling is not just to provide materially for your children but to be priests to them by being present and sharing your heart with them. And to all men, remember that you, too, have a sacred role. Whether you are a brother, a son, a friend, an uncle, or a mentor, your life has an impact. Your words, actions, and decisions can shape the lives of those around you and steer them toward love or away from it. This is your priesthood. This is your calling. Do you want to bless your wife, children, parents, siblings, and friends? Be a good man.

On this Father’s Day, let us stand as men, not just in name, but in duty, purpose, and honor. For it is through this commitment that we not only enrich our own lives but also bring hope, light, and love to the world around us.