My dad sends me devotionals and writes Bible verses in birthday cards, but his efforts never hit the same way as my mom’s. As of this writing, he still hasn’t been a Christian for as long as I was, and I didn’t grow up with him as a spiritual authority the way I did my mom. I find his attempts to lecture me on the Bible well-meaning but misguided; it’s hard to take him seriously when I’m aware that I know scripture better than he does. It’s hubris, but it’s also a lack of empathy on my dad’s part—he had no idea what my faith meant to me, how difficult leaving was, and he has shown little
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