By Jamie Roach
At the heart of the Christian story is this truth: God is self-giving love. Not distant. Not passive. But present—actively meeting us in our need. And parenting, in all its messy beauty, is one of the clearest ways we participate in this kind of love.
Every time we show up for our children—in their hunger, their meltdowns, their midnight fevers—we’re doing more than just managing chaos. We’re embodying divine love. We are participating in the very life of God.
Theologian Andrew Root calls this “Christopraxis”—the practice of ministry rooted in the self-giving love of Jesus. In this view, ministry isn’t just what happens in a church or a pulpit. Ministry is what happens at the changing table, in the carpool lane, at the kitchen counter. Root describes ministry as meeting others in their need. What better picture of this than parenting?
When we care for our children, we encounter God—not in abstraction, but in the here and now. God’s love flows through us as we love our kids, and in that very act, we are also being loved by God.
Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar describes this tender image: just as a baby learns to love through a mother’s smile, we come to know God’s love through the loving faces that meet us in our need. As parents, we become that face. The smile. The comforting embrace. The steady hand. We become a living reminder that love is real—and present.
That means the ordinary moments are sacred. Diaper changes. Dishes. Bedtime stories. Packing lunches. Waiting up after curfew. These aren’t interruptions to a more “spiritual” life. They are the spiritual life. Every small act of care is an offering—a participation in God’s own self-emptying love.
This is kenosis in action. Just as Christ emptied himself for the world, we empty ourselves for our children—not as martyrs, but as participants in a deeper strength that comes through surrender. And yes, it’s hard. Parenting stretches us to our limits. But it’s often in those very moments of exhaustion and inadequacy that we are most open to receiving God’s presence and strength.
When we live this way, our homes become sacred spaces. Every scraped knee and sleepless night becomes a liturgy of love. Our families reflect the very heart of God—a relational, giving, ever-present love. In us, our children experience not just parental care, but the presence of the One who is Love.
So let’s embrace this calling—not perfectly, but faithfully. Let’s remember that the simple, daily acts of love are nothing less than holy ground. We are not alone in this work. God is with us, in us, and through us—turning ordinary moments into sacred ones.
This is the holy work of parenting: to show our children they are deeply, endlessly loved—not just by us, but by the God who is Love.
About Jamie Roach: Jamie has served on the staff of Youthfront for 35 years, working with students, parents and youth workers. His passion is seeing people live their best life. Jamie is a spiritual director, author, communicator and Licensed Professional Counselor at Youthfront’s affiliate, Presence-Centered Counseling. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Mid-America Nazarene University. Jamie loves Nebraska football, reading, walks in the woods and hanging out with his family. Jamie and his wife Lea Ann have four adult children and four grandchildren.
