Thought for Today
Genesis 37:2 This is the story of the family of Jacob . . .
Leviticus 25:10 And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family.
Luke 2:4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'
Family is important. Families are important. Yesterday, I wrote “all Christians are members of a worldwide family of faith.” We are. That family is identified by the name ‘Christian.’ Sadly, for some, that name is as far as it goes.
In our society, our family connection is identified by our last name. In some societies, the familial name is given first. Gaius Julius Caesar was born into the Julian Clan, son of Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia. Julius, his surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of his personal name and indicates his family. Actually, his Clan name was Julius, his family within that clan was Caesar, and his first name (in our nomenclature) was Gaius.
Our system of naming and of family association is different. My family name had its origins in Scotland. My ancestors were of the clan Henderson. My first and middle names are from my grandfathers and identify me as one specific member of my clan. Traditionally, the Scottish clans also had clan badges and tartans. When my ancestors went to battle, they might wear the clan tartan to identify their family association. I have a clerical stole made from a bolt of Scottish wool in our tartan and a tuxedo vest from that same cloth.
Christians, members of the worldwide family of faith do not self-identify through our names or by wearing badges or clan tartans. Does that mean we are any less a family? What defines a family? Are we members of a family because we share some chain, some DNA link on our individual genomes? Or, does ‘family’ mean much more than shared DNA?
Family is defined as, “a group of people related either by consanguinity or affinity. It forms the basis for social order.” (en.wikipedia.org). That means that family can mean birth-related, or it can mean we are part of a family through marriage or through some significant shared interest or loyalty. Some Christians are related through consanguinity, but all Christians are related through affinity.
As far as how we show our Christian relationship to the rest of the world, we probably could never all agree on some sort of common name to be used as a surname or clan name. We can’t even all agree on our Order of Worship or on exactly what is going on with our sacraments and rituals. There are as many different ways of celebrating the Eucharist as there are Christians!
The same is probably true in terms of any sort of tartan. While I know that each of the Scottish clans has its own, I doubt that any English Christians would want to wear the colors of those heathen Scots. Ditto the French, German, etc. Christians.
How are we as Christians to mark our identity, to advertise our faith to the rest of our world? How do we show our being included within the Christian family of faith? If you have ever read any of these Thoughts I share or ever heard any of the sermons I’ve preached, some ideas might come to mind.
The first idea that comes to mind is from the Epistle of James, “2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” What better way could there be to proudly display our inclusion in the Christian family of faith than by how we live our lives?
The second idea is closely akin (some of you may already be humming the tune) and is voiced in that beloved hymn, They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love. If we believe, if we have faith, if we live lives of Christian love, they will know we are ‘part of the family.’
Stay safe, let your life identify your faith, trust God,
Pastor Ray