Wanted: Dads

A friend of mine has said that the worst criminal act being perpetrated in America today is the absence of fathers in the home.

Here's the context for his statement. We are facilitators in a mentoring program for male inmates at a state prison in Ohio. The program is called Inside Out Dad with the target audience being men who are fathers, who are near the end of their prison terms.

My friend uses that seemingly shocking statement to challenge the men and make them aware of the reality of their responsibility as fathers. And it's a very effective tool.

Among the ideas we try to communicate to the men in the program is that their families need them, and that when they are released from prison they need to become positive and effective leaders in their homes and communities.

While the men we work with are separated from their families due to their incarceration, far too many of us dads are separated from our families by a variety of man-made barriers. We need to break down those barriers and reacquaint ourselves with our families. We need to be the fathers and husbands that God is calling each of us to become.

Now I don't mean to come across as "preachy." Goodness knows I'm no expert when it comes to being a good father. I'm just another average guy trying to do the best for his family, relying on the Lord to grant me the wisdom and strength I need to walk the road of fatherhood.

Proverbs 22:6 reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

We need fathers who will teach their children how to become productive and positive members of their communities. We need fathers who will commit to being leaders in their homes. We need fathers willing to instill discipline in their children.

Dads, we have a God-given responsibility to do right by our children, and that means providing them with a firm foundation of values that will guide and nurture them throughout their lives.

(For information about Inside Out Dad, visit the National Fatherhood Initiative website at http://www.fatherhood.org/)