The Father’s heart in face of the loss of his creation

Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus spoke to Mary at the tomb, saying, ‘Go … to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ (John 20:17). Jesus came not only to forgive our sins and offer us salvation, but to show us the way… to the Father. Who is he? What is his heart like? Jesus, our brother, invites us to know him personally and intimately. If I believe that he is far from being indifferent or lecturing us, is it too daring to imagine the heart of the Father faced with the loss of his creation?

© Itos

A broken heart

It never occurred to me that God the Father could be broken-hearted. After all, we are the ones who are stuck on this earth of suffering and evil! Yet Genesis tells the story of a Father who lost his children. Speaking of the people of Israel, Luke’s Gospel reminds us ‘how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing’ (Luke 13:34).

The Father has not only lost his children, but his whole creation, which he called ‘very good’, has been affected. I can imagine the Father’s broken heart as he sees his works being destroyed by the very hands of those he created out of love and then lost.

A heavenly heart

In the face of loss, one might mistakenly imagine that the Father’s attitude would be similar to that of our earthly father. An attitude of anger, bitterness and judgment.

As believers, we may unknowingly model our earthly father’s personality on the heavenly Father. Yet they are different in many ways.

A tender and merciful heart

To describe the Father’s heart attitude towards the rejection and loss of his children, Jesus tells us the parable of the prodigal son. A father sees his son leave the family home and squander all his inheritance on vanities. Poor and repentant, he finally returns home hoping that his father will give him a job. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him’ (Luke 15:20). He welcomes his son with joy, tenderness and affection. No lectures or harsh remarks.

God had entrusted the earth, his possession, to us to take care of, but instead we abused it. Despite his broken heart, the Father is nevertheless ready to forgive us: ‘If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14). The Father does not accuse us, he hopes for a change of heart, a return home to him.

In the face of the ecological crisis, let us cry out: “Abba, Father!

‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ (Galatians 4:4-6). From being lost children, we have been redeemed and restored as children of God. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, our relationship with our Father has been restored. We can freely cry out “Abba, Father!”, regain a part of our identity, and take our place in our heavenly home.

But what about our earthly home? Our Father does not forget: ‘For the creation was subjected to frustration … in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God’ (Romans 8:20-21).

Like us, creation will be set free: the Father has made it possible for all his works to be restored and fully transformed so that they will be forever united with him.

Note to reader: this article is based on Neal Lozano’s book, The Heart of the Father (2016, Vida Editions), a beautiful work.

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Author: Marie Pfund, Communciations and Fund-raiser, A Rocha France