Orphan Stories

As Christians, we are adopted daughters and sons of God (Rom. 8; Eph. 4; Gal. 1) who set our hope in the promise of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, no one who has left [or lost?] home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much...and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:29, NIV).

But as one who lost his earthly father, I still perceive unfairness.  The faithful who enjoy meaningful relationships with their earthly fathers also receive Heavenly adoption.  Those of us who are fatherless on earth, as well as those with neglectful or brutal fathers, must content ourselves solely with the latter.  While there is a "God-shaped vacuum" in every heart, there are also human-shaped vacuums and vacuums of material need that God calls those who follow the example of Jesus to fill.  Maybe this is why James 1:27 commands, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you" (NLT).

Benjamin DeVan is presently a Th.M. student at Harvard Divinity School.  He completed his M.Div. at Duke Divinity School, and his M.A. at Asbury Theological Seminary.  He has published inBooks and Culture and the Christian Apologetics Journal, and has taught at Peace College and North Carolina Central University.

This article appears as part of a series on orphans and adoption. Please also see :"On Fathering a Daughter," "Surprised by (a Bundle of) Joy," "A Joy Beyond Expressing," and "God's Care for the Orphan: An Interview with Jedd Medefind."