I always like the smell of a new book. It is the first experience before turning the book over in my hands in preparation for diving in and having a good read.
The pleasure is multiplied when the book is one that you have written. Last week I received three small boxes of advance copies of my “Good Bad No Dad?” What a treat to see it in print at last.
Writing a book involves a long journey of research, writing, revising and editing. I have poured some of my life story into the book and have told the stories of a dozen or so other people.
I guess that the things that go around in the head of all of authors are the questions: “Will anyone read it?” “Will anyone like it?” “Will it make a difference?”
The response so far has been positive. Twenty or so copies disappeared quickly after church this morning. But it is early days.
What has been interesting is that issues around boys and young men have been prominent in social discourse recently. In the last couple of weeks there have been three things that have driven this discussion.
The first is a four-part Netflix series entitled ‘Adolescence’ that lifts the lid on issues of father-son relationships, images of toxic masculinity and the role of the internet in forming and reinforcing unhelpful images of masculinity and distorted views of women and sex.
Television has a remarkable ability to start up a conversation. I think that this series will get people talking and maybe lead to some constructive action!
Secondly, there has been the publication of the report ‘Lost Boys’ by the Centre for Social Justice. This well-researched report explores the many negative outcomes for boys of fatherlessness in our society. I think the line that children today are more likely to have a smartphone than a father at home, was particularly telling.
Thirdly, the Dimbleby Lecture delivered by Sir Gareth Southgate has brought the issue of fatherlessness back into the spotlight. Sir Gareth didn’t say much that was new, but he was able to use his profile to highlight the issue.
I was never in doubt about the relevance of this book, but the show Adolescence, the Lost Boys report and Sir Gareth’s lecture have reinforced it.
I wrote “Good Bad No Dad?” as an insider on the world of fatherlessness. I am a participant rather than a spectator. I also wrote this book as a preacher. I thought long and hard about how to increase the focus on fatherlessness in my preaching. This is reflected in the chapters that deal with fathers and Father God in the Old and New Testaments. I seek to model how preachers can have their eyes open to this issue when preaching.
There is also a QR code at the back of the book that takes you to some free bonus material by me. There is a chapter on ‘Preaching with Fatherlessness’ in the rear-view mirror and a sermon Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer.
Please pray that the book will be useful.
