In Mahayana Buddhism, especially the Sukhavati or Pure Land Sect, Amitabha Buddha is always said to be the compassionate Father of all sentient beings.
Once I've ever heard about this from a Dharma VCD. The speaker of the Dharma VCD was a monk. He said that we as Buddhist practitioners of the Pure Land Sect should recite the Buddha'name with utmost sincerity. When your life in this world has come to its end, where would you return?
Of course, every Pure Land practitioner wishes to return to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is like a far-travelling child return to his Father and staying in a warm home. Home sweet home. You probably would say that you recite "Amitabha" very often and think of Amitabha Buddha always. But do you know that Amitabha Buddha never stops hoping us to be at the Pure Land and ends the sufferings of this mundane world.
When you look at some images of Amitabha Buddha, you would find that some of Amitabha Buddha's images are in standing position holding a lotus with his left hand and his right palm open facing down. This symbolizes the compassion of the Buddha in saving and delivering us from the sea of suffering to the Western Pure Land.