“Big Fish” is an entertaining movie about a larger than life father and a son who didn’t understand him. As a traveling salesman the dad would come home and fill the air with tall tales and incredible stories. As a grown up seeking to escape the shadow of his father the son rejected him and his stories. It was only beside his father’s death bed that he gave up his anger and resentment to accept his father for who he was and share in the story telling. At the funeral the son was shocked and humbled to see scaled down versions of the many characters who populated his dad’s tall tales.

Like “Field of Dreams” and “Elizabethtown” the story is about restored relationships and reconciliation between fathers and sons. What is it about us guys? Why are the relationships between fathers and son so often strained and difficult? Quite often it is driven by a son wanting to stand on his own and get out from under his father’s shadow. Whatever the reasons may be, there’s almost always an opportunity for some form of reconciliation that can and should be sought. But better than that is a strong healthy relationship that remains unbroken and even unmarred by sin and separation.

However big a shadow our dads may have cast it can’t touch the one cast by the Eternal Father – God. In the great OT passage containing the incredible promise of an everlasting house and throne for David God threw in an incredible addition that shook David and should astound us. God promised that David’s son would also be God’s son. “I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me” (2 Samuel 7:14).

Sadly, even Solomon with all his wisdom and initial humility eventually was overwhelmed by living in David’s shadow and failed to serve God with his whole heart. “Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done” (1 Kings 11:6). Every other son of David failed to measure up. Some were just plain evil, but even the good ones eventually lost faith and failed to serve God as completely as David. This history of heart breaking failure came to an end with Jesus, who not only exceeded the faithful service of His father David, but measured up to His heavenly Father.

Through the perfect sinless Son of God we can be restored and reconciled to our eternal Father, we can draw near Him in confident faith. That’s the real story of life, the story of one Son who never lost faith or broke fellowship with His Father, and “offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14). Through that son our heavenly father is telling us about Himself. Will we listen and believe or, considering His offer a tall tale, tune Him out and turn away in disbelief. Thankfully, this Son offers forgiveness for all, who like you and me, have, at some point, turned away in disbelief and disobedience.

As long as there’s breath in your body, and a willing mind, you can come back in obedient faith. I sure hope you will. Let me know if I can help.