FAMILIES

FAMILY

I’ve been spending a week with some of my family on Lake Michigan.  It’s an annual vacation, which we have had the privilege of taking for over 50 years.  During that time the cast of characters has undergone a lot of changes but the core has held steady.  The love between us holds us together through all the challenges and thinking about this has made me grateful beyond measure.  We are just one kind of family, but I’ve been musing about just what constitutes a family.

For centuries family always meant people related by birth.  People did foster or adopt children but that child was always identified as ‘not actually a blood relation’ and excluded from inheritance, etc. because they did not share blood.  As we have progressed through time and knowledge, we know that blood is just blood and the only difference between mine and yours would be the type.  Still, people cling to the idea that only blood makes a family. 

In an Orchard it is possible for one tree to bear more than one kind of apple. It’s possible to graft a Jonathan branch to a McIntosh tree or, with an understanding of species, it’s possible to have one tree with multiple grafts producing a wide variety of fruit.  In the case of people, it’s what is called ‘a blended family’

But, Jesus himself changed the meaning of the word family forever. When told that his mother and brothers were outside, he asked: “ Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”  Then pointing to his disciples, which included all present, said: “These are my mother and brothers!”  (Mt 12:46-50) But, like so much of what Jesus said, the focus is often on the wrong thing.  Instead of wondering how Jesus could appear to dismiss his own family, we should be sensing the impact of his words on our own perceptions of the meaning of family. What truly binds people together is love.

It is truly God’s will that we learn to live together in peace with love as the adhesive holding it all together.  We know with certainty that Jesus did not say anything he didn’t mean.  We also know, or at least we should, that whatever Jesus said to enlighten his listeners was meant for our ears as well.

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin , OPA