By Cammie Loeber
On Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day, taking a moment to consider how the dads in our lives have shaped us through the lessons they have taught – by word and example.
The holiday provides a moment to reflect on what it means to be a dad, and how fathers can aim to live by looking to the example of God the Father.
Upon this reflection, the Great American Pure Flix team considered five lessons pulled from five inspiring dads in the Great American Pure Flix Library:
LIFEMARK
Lifemark, in essence, is a tale of two families bound together by one son. Kirk Cameron plays Jimmy Colton, adoptive father to high school senior David Colton. At a pivotal moment in his life, following an injury and the subsequent retirement from the sport he loves, David is contacted by his birth parents. It takes the encouragement of his parents, and specifically the patience of his father, before David comes around to re-engaging with his birth family. Throughout the film, Jimmy projects not only a commendable quiet confidence, but also an unjealous acceptance that while David will always be his son, he has family ties that he deserves to know. Jimmy’s character serves as a reminder – just as God’s love for us is not finite, we can embrace an infinite love for others, without jealousy.
GOD'S COUNTRY SONG
Jimmy personifies many virtues, while Noah Bryan (portrayed by of God’s Country Song can’t seem to shake his vices. He is on the path to regret when we meet him – though chasing his dream of being a big-time country singer, he can’t help . And at a most inopportune time (for his career and personality alike), he is surprised by the introduction of the young son he never knew he had. JJ is a sweet boy who recently lost his mother, making Noah and his parents the only remaining family he’s got. As Noah embarks on the journey of self-discovery in fatherhood, he learns that God’s Grace can come from the unlikeliest of places. Noah’s story exemplifies a homecoming of the spirit– a return to God and a reinvigoration of values that we all can emulate when discerning between the person we are and that who we are called to be.
MR. MANHATTAN 
Noah is not the only dad faced with unexpected change. New York City lawyer Mason Bradley (Carlos PenaVega) once left behind the smalltown family life in pursuit of his Metropolitan career dreams. Years later, he is thrust back into this life when (upon the unexpected death of his brother and sister-in-law) he is left the sole guardian of two children – his nephew (and Godson) Reuben and his niece Amanda Jane. Mason’s story is a lesson in learning to let God lead, as opposed to assuming answers. With this adjustment of attitude, Mason achieves a balance he never could have envisioned alone.
STRONG FATHERS, STRONG DAUGHTERS
Just as Mason had to learn to let God lead, Steve Parston (Bart Johnson) provides a lesson in letting go in Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. When his oldest daughter announces her engagement, and her plans to leave behind the family business to pursue missionary work, he must embrace this new future while mourning the past. Ultimately, Steve relies on the power of prayer and a newfound trust in God (inspired by the family of his soon-to-be son-in-law) to see him through.
LEGACY PEAK
Some dads (like Steve) are born, while others are made. This is the case of Jason (Lucas Black) in Legacy Peak. What starts out as a bonding experience for Jason and his fiancée’s two children turns into a matter of survival when the trio finds themselves stranded in the wilderness while en route to the family cabin. What follows is an unanticipated adventure, and the new understanding that fatherhood, like faith, is a sacred mantle that can be taken up by those ready to step up to claim it.
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