According to a New York Times study, mass incarceration and early deaths are the main reasons black men are missing from their children. Yet for those who are present, Black men spend more time eating with their children, bathing and dressing them, playing and reading to them on a daily basis than any other ethnic group. African American men love and care for their children. We simply need to fix the system that keeps them away from home.
The father in the Prodigal Son story loved and provided for his two sons. When the younger one asked for his inheritance, the father reluctantly gave it to him. The son left and wasted his money on wild parties and women. Despite this the father did not abandon him, but longed for the day he would return. When he saw him coming, he ran, embraced him, called for a robe to give him status, a ring to give him authority, and a fatted calf to celebrate his return. We human fathers often fall short of caring and providing for our children, but thankfully we have a Heavenly Father who never fails to love and care for us.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
