Jon Esau
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What could be more Canadian than going to a hockey game? My family was spending a month back in Canada after living in Thailand for 4+ years and I wanted this trip to be redemptive to the Canadian roots that my children seem to be missing. Two of our three children were born in Asia and our oldest left Canada at 2 years old. So my fatherly duties were, obviously, to plan a Canadian-filled activity tour. I lined up snowmobiling, sledding, snowman building, BBQ’s, farmer sausage (more of a Menno-thing), and a good ol’ hockey game.
Herein lies the twist… as my two oldest kids, Callie (6) and Marek (3), were walking with my dad and I to the arena. My mind began to flood with childhood memories of hockey games. The fights, the songs, the cheers and jeers, and of course, the Canadian national anthem, with hats removed in respect. As a good father I decided to check whether or not my 6 year old daughter knew the Canadian national anthem. . . NOPE! She didn’t even know the beat of the song! So I asked my non-Thai speaking daughter if she knew the Thai national anthem, and out pops a fluent, tonally correct, beautiful rendition of the Thai national anthem.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not super patriotic. I love my country, I love my heritage, but I love Jesus more! So sometimes Canada isn’t a big deal to me, pretty much only when the world hockey championships are going on do I break out the face paint! But what am I to do with 3 kids who have Canadian passports but only associate Canada with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins?
Perhaps our kids may walk through some identity crisis in their lives… maybe they will struggle to identify and associate with other Canadian kids their age, if they eventually move back to their passport country. But my hope, prayer and efforts are focused towards grounding them in the truths of their identity in Christ. John 1:12-13 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
So what are my fatherly duties? I believe they are to expose my children to the truth of Jesus through my actions and words. To love them, as God transforms me into the father He calls me to be. And to do whatever it takes to help them avoid having a ‘spiritual identity crisis.’ Whether they know what it means to be “Canadian” or not, I will do whatever I need to, to ensure our children rest secure in their identity as children of God. How do YOU teach your kids to understand their identity in Christ?