This past Easter, I had the incredible privilege of seeing a decades-long prayer answered: I baptized my own father.
When I decided to attend Fuller Seminary for my PhD, my parents also made the decision to leave my home state, the place in which they raised all three of their children over thirty years. Coming to California was a fresh start for them. New friends, new sights, and, as my father explained in his testimony, a new journey of faith. My dad began attending a church out where they now live.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time my own father asked me a theological question: So there’s Jesus and there’s God and they’re not the same?” This was new conversational material for me and I couldn’t have been more excited. Not only that, but I remember him telling me that he was frustrated with an older Chinese translation of the Bible. My wife and I excitedly bought him a newer translation for his birthday. But even more useful, I introduced him to apps for his tablet. I began to hear more and more questions about what he was reading. He wondered about characters, timelines, places. He was learning so fast!
Then, one day, he asked me another question and I knew we were getting closer: “So, there’s this word propitiation.” This very strange word (even for native English speakers!) is crucial for Christians. I cheerfully explained to him what we mean when we sing “And on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” It became clearer and clearer that my dad was walking closer and closer to faith. Then certainty came when he told me, “So reminiscent of the Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in Acts 8, I think I should be baptized.”
I was overjoyed and continued to walk alongside him to prepare him for baptism. I was even more excited when I heard him make a great theological connection. He asked, “Wouldn’t it be even more meaningful to do this on Easter?” My theological mind was quickly flooded by all of the relevant associations between Easter and baptism: dying and rising, sin, forgiveness, grace, and new life in Christ. This was perfect.
I meant what I said on that glorious Easter Sunday as I honored my dad. He has taught me so much and built a great family. Now, he has joined the family of God and brings his immense measure of giftedness to the body of Christ. Now, we have the same heavenly Father. Now, when we say, “He is risen,” we can also shout with confidence, “and so will the Liou family!