We Fathers Must Not Let the Fire Die

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of maintaining presence and tradition during the dark winter months as a father and family member.

We entered the dark part of the year this past weekend. You crossed over the threshold and now stand closer to the winter solstice than you do the autumn equinox. You’re on the other side of the year from the merry month of May at the absolute grimmest stretch; the days are dark, growing darker yet, and there will be no brightness, no brilliance, no break in the dark for another month and a half. Well, except for you . It all hinges on you now, northern man. You set the tone, stay the momentum, reclaim evergreen-old ways. Hearth-keeper. Merry-maker. Father. You are called now to presence. You are called now to keep. We so often see the next fifty-or-so days with Thanksgiving and the run-up to Christmas as an exhausting marathon feast. For you though, it is a vigil. The world asks that you show your quality as husband, father, son, and neighbor now. The days are few, the nights long, and within that ever-narrowing time, every act carries outrageous weight. You are also tempted by distraction now, however. It is so easy to say you are tired, to turn on the game after Sunday dinner, to linger in the garage, to sigh as your wife asks you to get the decorations down from the attic. To…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan B. Anderson

Topics covered

• fatherhood
• winter solstice
• tradition
• family
• vigil
• presence

Keywords

• fatherhood
• winter solstice
• tradition
• family
• presence
• vigil
• darkness

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