Who's your Daddy?
FAMILY... that word can mean almost anything these days.
Used to, when someone spoke of family, it was understood they were talking about a husband, wife and some combination of offspring - the nuclear family. Extended family would include Grandma, Grandpa, aunts/uncles, cousins and the like. One thing family always held in common was blood... shared DNA.
Enter the 21st century. Family is now loosely defined as, "any group of people who love each other". I have no intention of using this entry to make a political or social statement. However, I don't think I'm alone in asserting that both of these leave a little to be desired.
We've all had friends who are closer to us than "blood" relatives. Can we not also call them family? On the other hand, "love" (as I've experienced it) can be a fickle thing. I'm not sure I want to call someone "family" if there is no assurance of a life-long connection.
So, what constitutes family? Are we exclusively limited in our most intimate relationships to some cosmic lotto's determination of whom we'll spend eighty-odd years? What's that saying? ..."You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family."
Consider this: When Christ came to Earth, His purpose was to make a way for us to enter both the fellowship of the Trinity and a different type of extended earthly family. "How?", you may ask... blood. More than a few scriptures identify Jesus as the "Bridegroom" and the Church as His wife; thereby securing a "marital" connection to the Godhead. Another passage calls Christ the "firstborn among many" - eluding to the availability adoption for those who would come after. All of this is made possible by the physical sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.
Finally, hope for the orphan & emotionally orphan-ed. A people with whom we are both intimately acquainted and safe. Check out the passage below, and see Jesus' (fully human) take on all this.
But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:48-50
Church is not a place I go to, but a people I belong to.