The brevity of today’s gospel can deceive us into thinking there is a simple message. And on the surface that is so. We are all members of God’s family. But family in and of itself is a complicated thing.
We know from our own lived experiences that being in a family can be messy. As much as we can love our siblings and parents, they can be nosey, frustrating, unsympathetic… you name it. And even though one might have aged greatly when it comes to your family, your treatment can revert to your birth order, “Well she is the baby”, or “The oldest can decide that”. Like I said-- it’s complicated.
This complexity comes from deep love and intimacy. These people have known you for your entire life and have been witness to all the good and not so good phases of your life. And therein lies the beauty of family.
In today’s gospel we are being called to delve into this same love and intimacy with God. We are being reminded that we are a part of a larger family that has unconditional love flowing from the center. And even though life is messy, and complicated, and difficult to grasp at times there is a place you can go and be seen and loved in all your imperfections.
The challenge for us is to accept this membership and our other family members for their warts and flaws. Let us pray today to embrace the love and grace that comes with being a member of God’s family. Let’s practice acceptance and understanding as we work to love ourselves and others.
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