A Father’s Valuable Perspective

By Sean Allen

Leading up to the Women's March in Washington D.C. this year, I felt frustrated, angry, and stirred. I kept wondering, “What exactly is your issue? Is it the right to abort your baby? Are you mad because Hillary lost the election? Do you really hate Trump and all men? Is your issue equal rights for all women?”

The following day my eight-year-old daughter Lily painted a picture of two stick figures representing her and me. I awoke the next morning with Lily's painting still on my mind and realized that in all the media’s coverage of the women’ march, I hadn’t seen many pictures of fathers and daughters holding hands while marching through the streets of our nation. It then hit me: I'm asking the wrong questions and focusing on the symptoms of the problem instead of the root issue. The question I should have been asking was this: What was sown into these women that has resulted in their anger and loud protests?

Married with six children,including five daughters, I've come to understand that I reap exponentially that which I sow into my wife and daughters.

I gave my wife life-giving seed, and she grew it into a baby. I gave Rona a house, and she's made it into a beautiful home. When I give my daughters attention, they give me love. When I listen to the things that excite them and when I protect their hearts, they give me back their trust. On the flip side, when I give them my anger and judgment, they give me back rage and resentment.

What happens when the men of a nation sow abandonment, dishonor, and selfishness into the women around them?

They reap two million women marching through the streets of our nation with a desire to be heard, noticed, validated, valued, and loved. As men, we are reaping what we have sown.

Think what would happen if fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and uncles paid attention to the women in their lives, honored them, and lived unselfishly and sacrificially with them on a daily basis. What if they protected, stood up for, and fought for them? What if the men in the culture loved their wives like Christ loved the Church?

Additionally, imagine the good fruit that would come if men repented when they failed to live up to Christ’s example:

"I'm sorry I abandoned your mom, walked out on her, and left her to raise you by herself."

"I'm sorry I was unfaithful and cheated on you as my wife."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and was distracted by other things."

"I'm sorry I abandoned you after getting you pregnant, leaving you alone to figure out how to raise that baby or whether or not you would even have it."

"I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to you, notice you, see you, or take an interest in your life."

"I'm sorry I didn't love you."

"I'm sorry I didn't come after you."

Make no mistake: the feminist movement was not started by a woman. It was started by a man who didn't love his wife like Christ loved the Church. One key way we men can help heal our nation is to go home and love our wives and families.

-Sean Allen

A Father's Valuable Perspective

Married with six children,including five daughters, I've come to understand that I reap exponentially that which I sow into my wife and daughters.

What happens when the men of a nation sow abandonment, dishonor, and selfishness into the women around them?

Additionally, imagine the good fruit that would come if men repented when they failed to live up to Christ’s example:

Make no mistake: the feminist movement was not started by a woman. It was started by a man who didn't love his wife like Christ loved the Church. One key way we men can help heal our nation is to go home and love our wives and families.