Today’s Readings: Psalm 61; Genesis 47:27-48:7; Luke 8:16-25; Acts 21:1-6; Psalm 114
In the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) community, there is a saying about family. That saying would get paraphrased as such: “There are two kinds of family: biological family and family of choice.” The saying is an important one since so many LGBT people are cut off from their biological family members when they come out. By some people’s standards, the result of these losses would mean the person no longer has a family. What happens, however, is that the LGBT person creates a family around him or herself with close friends who take on the role of family; hence, the phrase “family of choice”. While Jesus’ circumstances were much different in today’s Gospel reading, he made a similar point. When he learned that his mother and brothers were trying to push through the crowd to reach him, how did Jesus respond? He responded by altering the traditional definition of family: “My mother and my brothers are the ones who hear and do God’s Word. Obedience is thicker than blood” (Luke 8:21 – The Message). Today I would invite you to look back over your faith journey and give thanks for your “family” members who first heard God’s Word in their lives and then embodied that Word for you – individuals who nurtured you on your own faith journey. Take a moment and give thanks for all of the forms family take – and then go out and embrace your role as a family member for someone else. Til next time…
In the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) community, there is a saying about family. That saying would get paraphrased as such: “There are two kinds of family: biological family and family of choice.” The saying is an important one since so many LGBT people are cut off from their biological family members when they come out. By some people’s standards, the result of these losses would mean the person no longer has a family. What happens, however, is that the LGBT person creates a family around him or herself with close friends who take on the role of family; hence, the phrase “family of choice”. While Jesus’ circumstances were much different in today’s Gospel reading, he made a similar point. When he learned that his mother and brothers were trying to push through the crowd to reach him, how did Jesus respond? He responded by altering the traditional definition of family: “My mother and my brothers are the ones who hear and do God’s Word. Obedience is thicker than blood” (Luke 8:21 – The Message). Today I would invite you to look back over your faith journey and give thanks for your “family” members who first heard God’s Word in their lives and then embodied that Word for you – individuals who nurtured you on your own faith journey. Take a moment and give thanks for all of the forms family take – and then go out and embrace your role as a family member for someone else. Til next time…
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