Walking along the beach during the recent holidays, my wife commented how good it was seeing so many dads out with their children enjoying shared experiences. Children often get pleasure knowing their parents are watching. It can give them a great sense of security. ‘Dad, look at me’, is a phrase you often hear. This experience does not necessarily diminish with age. Both David Beckham and Gary Neville, two former professional English footballers, admit the first thing they did upon entering the arena for a major European final back in 1999, was look up to the crowd and spot their parents who were watching. They couldn’t feel ready to play without knowing they were there. Not all of us have a father on earth casting a watchful presence over us. But it is the promise all Christians have regarding God, their Father in Heaven. Jesus’ death on the cross secures for believers a right relationship with God as their Heavenly Father, meaning whatever trials they face here on earth, they can look to the heavens and know their loving Father is watching, casting an eternally secure presence over their lives. 

Craig Langstaff. Minister. St Peter’s Anglican Church (Article published in edition of ‘Heads News’. October 2025)