Johnny's Found Father

" 'Father?' I said.
'Forgive me, my s-s-s-son!' Said the Rev. Lewis Merrill.' (Irving 543) "

Johnny was disappointed that his father was Rev. Merrill because of his lack of faith. Merrill had lost all his faith and refused to believe that Owen showed Johnny who his father is, but in all Rev. Merrill had lost all faith after Tabby died. He didn't accept the miracle of Owen's voice speaking to Johnny through him but he told Johnny about the "tired story" of what happened between him and Tabby.
He lost his faith the day of the Little League game; Mr. Merrill prayed that Johnny's mother would drop dead and a moment later Owen's foul ball killed her. Pastor Merrill and Tabby had an affair while Tabby had been singing as the "Lady in Red". He lusted after Tabby thinking he could leave his sad miserable life, but that couldn't be achieved and that shamed him. At the game when Tabby waved at him with no sign of reproach he hated her for it and when she died he was daft enough to believe that God had "listened" to his fervent prayer for Johnny's mother to drop dead. After he lost his faith, he insolently thought that God had turned away from him. Johnny is "moved to do great evil" at the disappointment of who his father is and how hypocritical his father was.