The Butler
My girlfriend of forty years, Co-Pastor Morgan, and I had the pleasure of going to see Lee Daniels’ movie, The Butler, this weekend. This movie moved me both as a pastor and as a father. A powerful underlining notion within this movie was the father’s inability to relate to his son. Being the pastor of a diverse congregation, I often times see this same undercurrent rippling throughout my congregation as it relates to healthy parental relationships. The inability of the father to relate to his children is a curse that not only plagues single parent homes but two parent homes as well. In order for the family to flourish and not be destroyed by this curse rooted within the family unit, it requires a person of wisdom. The Bible declares, “A wise woman builds her house!” The matriarch in that family or the adult role model within the home must express to the children the desires of the father. The father’s inability to exemplify the role of the father and the head of the house may be because he could have been failed by his own father. The affirmation of a father in the lives of his children will empower them to become confident, possess drive and determine concerning all things in life, and inspire them to dream big and take risks. I don’t want to give the movie away, but I encourage you to go see it! This movie will open your eyes to the interworking of family and will inspire you to be the voice of wisdom and hope in dark and troubling times.
