God’s family

I like to think of the church as a (extended) family, since we do generally share beliefs and morals in common. In addition I want to take the word ‘church’ to include free churches, Baptist, Methodist, Church of Scotland, Episcopalian, Anglican, and various Orthodox churches as well as Roman Catholics (all Christians). But no – that’s not enough! I want to think of all human beings as God’s people – a group to which I certainly belong. But lest you think that’s enough I really try and would like to include all creatures, all creation, ranging from galaxies to subatomic particles. All are continually being kept in existence by God – the God I believe in is active and present everywhere all the time. Christians believe that God Himself entered this extensive, universal, group in the human, Jewish person of Jesus.

So what? This is what I often want to ask when I hear some new idea. My idea is that in the whole of creation there is a real presence of God actively creating and sustaining. Believing this of all God’s creation, I ought to treat accordingly all its various ingredients, especially myself and other people. So when I celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, I don’t just think of Mary and Joseph, nor even just we Christians – I try to consider all people (and actually even all things) as being sustained even now and every moment by God. Gosh! I feel a New Year Resolution coming on – but best not to aim too high, just starting with something I can attain if I try and persevere!