25-Christmas and Family

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other–that man, that woman, that child is my brother or my sister.” – Mother Theresa

            As Christmas comes near, we remember the promise of Christ: Love and Peace for the whole human race. That is our true family in Christ. When we reduce the image of family exclusively to something less than that, we forget that we all belong to each other.

            Be very careful about calling “family values” a Christian concept. Christ told us we may have to leave our mothers and fathers to follow Him. He was warning us about the dangers of too strong an allegiance to the smaller concept of family. Blind allegiance to a family can lead us to treating others as aliens rather than brothers and sisters.

            This doesn’t mean we don’t love our families. We may love them deeply and want to protect them. That is our duty. But when that love directs us to not love others or even to hate and fear others because of their differences with us, it is no longer Christian love, and it’s time for a reset. 

            It’s hard to accept, but some families are not loving. One of us in such a situation who finds the love of Christ may have to just bless them and go. Not every problem can be solved in our time.

            Christian love is a challenge. We must transcend the usual concepts of family to have any hope of getting closer to the peace on earth that Christ intends for us.

            Love your family however they allow, then grow that love to include others, as many as possible. We aren’t perfect. We can’t fix everything. But we have to keep trying to fix what we can.

Hugh Moffatt
Nashville, Tennessee
January 13, 2015