Imagine meeting the perfect stranger, and it being your father. Giacomo Knox last saw his father in 1975 and has not seen or spoken to him for 33 years. But in 2009 Giacomo was able to reconnect and spend "A Week With His Father," and film it for all of us to see.
I must say his reality series is a must see, it is so moving, and reaches so many levels.
For a really long time you all know, at least if you have been reading my blog, I have struggled with the relationship with my father and felt resentment towards him. I was not given or demand the opportunity Giacomo was, but like Giacomo through my faith I have found peace in the situation.
Gia,como's story was amazing becaus ehe found out a lot information that was told was not all together, and the best part was his father wanted to be in his life, where he was told the opposite.
Going back to the post I wrote other day.
It took me a really long time to write this post because I just felt like no matter what I wrote I did not do it justice(still feel that way) because the webepisodes speak for themselves. And you all need to watch! It can be life changing if you let it!
Well I actually was able to connect with Mr. Knox, and was more than willing to do an interview with me, (I think that why it was so nerve racking). After you al watch his movement you should definitely read the interview to gain some more insight!
ENJOY!!!
How did your faith and relationship with the lord strengthen your
situation with your dad?
I like to think that anyone who has strong faith in YHVH is
invincible. I've seen many miracles happen simply because someone
believed and acted on the belief. The only real obstacle to
meeting my dad was getting the finances together so I could shoot
the pilot. We got right down to the wire, the money showed up!
But even before then, while I had great faith in YHVH, I believe He
was calling me to do this show and reunite with my father, so I
could tell other young men and women that fatherhood is important.
And to show was real forgiveness looks like - it starts with family.
Do you feel that since you have spent that week with your father you found
peace with the relationship?
Absolutely! I wanted to know him, know why he and my mother
split up, what he's been doing since we split up, and what kind
of relationship I could expect from him now that we're adults.
As time allows, I hope to spend a lot more time with him!
What advice do you have for people that are going through similar
situations but do not have the opportunity to meet their father?
First off, the only valid reason for not having an opportunity to
meet your father is because he's no longer alive. Most resistant
people I've spoken to are either afraid or harbor some sort of
resentment toward their fathers, and it's understandable.
When a relationship breaks up, sometimes the truth is obscured as
to why a father leaves the home. The best advice I can give is to
find out the truth, or at least your father's version of the truth.
Seek him out and have an open mind. Hear his side of the story and
see if you'd like to pursue a relationship with him.
How has your relationship with your mother and her side of the family
changed?
To be honest, I think she's still a little annoyed with me for doing
this show, and I can understand. There are some old wounds that
have never healed, and perhaps the show will help along the healing
process with her as well. She's happy that I created a show of this
caliber and very supportive of my efforts, however.
As far as my mother's family, I've not spoken to most of them at
length about the project. It has caused me to look at them a little
differently, but again this show is about forgiveness. Whatever
happened way back when I was 5 is over, and I harbor no resentment
toward any of the players involved. That includes my mother!
Has your bond with your father grown since filming?
I believe we've bonded since filming the show! He lives in my home
state of New Jersey, so it's hard to speak with him on a consistent
basis. Again as time and my schedule allow, I will fly out or have
him fly out so we can spend some more quality time together.
Do you plan on continuing filming, showing the growing relationship
between you and your father?My partner Julie House and I have toyed with the idea of filming
"father and son follow ups" as a way of encouraging the viewers to
pursue relationships with their fathers. Once the show gets picked
up a by network or cable station, they will make the final
determination. I don't see it as being anything but a way to
enhance the program and further inspire the audience.
If you continue do you think you would ever get both of your parents
together to discuss what happened in the past?Now that's an idea! In my situation there is so much animosity
between my father and mother, that it seems impossible. But as I'm
fond of saying, "there is nothing impossible with YHVH!" The show
being about forgiveness, a reunion episode with the parents as a
follow up might encourage struggling couples to stay together as
well.
How do you think this experience will impact you as a father if/when you
become one?From my upbringing, to the time I spent in the Marine Corps, to my
life since then and the show, I know that I will be an excellent
father. One of the things necessary for a man to be a good father
is patience. Even at 41 I'm learning more and more about patience,
and how it applies toward child-rearing.
It's quite clear that my father made some mistakes, otherwise there'd
be no show! I know many of the things my mother told me, and many of
the things he admitted to doing, and I will use them and my personal
experiences in raising my kids.
At what point in time did you establish your relationship with god? Like
what led you to him?
Wow, this could be the longest response ever! I grew up catholic and
was very religious. Religion however hates being questioned, and
since that time I've learned to see religious traditions as a
construct of man. I left catholicism and floundered for 3 years in
"the world" before YHVH (G-d) broke me down to my knees and gave me a
choice between Him and the world.
After sometime in the Foursquare movement, I found it incomplete and
lacking real spiritual foundation. And yes, many man-made constructs.
My faith now reincorporates the Hebraic elements including Torah (The Law
of G-d or First 5 books of the Bible) that were removed from Christianity
by man-made tradition and Antisemitism. I no longer celebrate Christmas,
Easter or other religious holidays not featured in Scripture, and I no
longer worship YHVH on Sunday, opting for Saturday Sabbath rest and
worship and communing with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Essentially
I call myself a Torah-Observant follower of Yahushua (Jesus), and opt to
use the Scripturally correct Set-Apart names: YHVH, etc.
What led me to Him was the same thing that we are all searching for: to
fill that "G-d shaped hole" in our heart. Some try to do it with drugs,
alcohol, sex; some do it with gods that can't or won't help them, I did it
with the One who put on human flesh and died in my place. What an awesome
love story!
I would encourage all Christians who believe we are under Grace and not
The Law to do their independent research as to what The Law actually says.
Most of us already obey G-d's Law - Yahushua died so we wouldn't have to
suffer the punishment for accidental disobedience. The Law was never set
aside by Yahushua, in fact He confirmed it. What we are no longer under
are the man-made traditions, which are impossible to keep (!) and make
null and void the Word of G-d.
As I reached the front step, my heart was racing, and had flashbacks of our fights and some of hurtful things he said the last time we spoke and I was in that house. He opened the door and invited my mother and I in. With my hand shaking profusely I handed him his carefully chosen Christmas card. I quickly placed my things down on the coach and my mom sat down as I ran to the ladies room... when I returned my fatheer was gone... a few seconds later he returned and handed me an orange box, and mumbled "i never did get a chance fi rap it..." I began to read the long passage on the front... but to be honest I skimmed and was thinking what the heck is in this box???? I opened the box and there was a Struhrling watch inside; with a million pieces of paper the read "warranty", "manual" and many more. I quickly put it on! My father turned to me and asked "you like it.." me with a grin on my face nodded yes; he continued "I have the same one, but mine a likkle bigger fi de males dem" as he held up his rist to show me! Now of cousre I felt a little bad, my mom kept nagging for me to buy him a gift, and I said no; all i bought him was a card and he gave me a $200 almost $300 watch! 