We Are Family
A year or so ago I gave a DNA swab to Ancestory.com. My family tree that I once thought very short can now be traced back to early 17th century England on both sides of my family. I now receive notifications about 2nd and 3rd cousins who before I never knew existed and know my unique genetic DNA traits for ticklishness, earlobes, and aversion to cilantro.
This past weekend, I travelled to Boston with Susan and my youngest daughter. While there, I visited a local, Bible-believing church, in the very center of American cultural liberalism, for Sunday worship. About 75% of the congregation was of Asian descent. Although most of the Church did not look like me, they worshiped just like we do—sang the same hymns with heart, repeated the Lord’s Prayer with meaning and conviction. I introduced myself to the visiting preacher, and we immediately made several connections—he did post-graduate work at the U of A, had come to the Lord in Florida, and became a church planter through Spanish River, the same church where Peter Bartuska had previously been on staff. What a small world.
At Grace Church, we are a family of faith. While we could always do more, in my humble opinion, we do a pretty good job of acting out what it means to be a family of faith through caring and praying for one another. Every loss, win, disappointment, or joy is shared by Grace Church’s members. But this weekend made me think about this “family of faith” concept differently. In my shallow way of thinking, I always focused on the “household” of “family” as Grace Church. However, our “family” is much larger than that.
In 1 John 1: 7, we read, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Our “DNA”—that is, our identity—is in Jesus Christ, and we share that “DNA” with all those who believe and put their trust in him. We are all members of a very large family, we have cousins living all over the world, and we can trace our family tree back to not just a few hundred years, but two thousand years! We are connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ by the same family characteristics, those same “DNA” traits—the truth that we are loved, chosen, redeemed, and forgiven.
Given that we are one family, how does that change our way of thinking? For me, it means intentionally remembering to focus outward rather than always inward toward Grace Church, praying for my fellow believers who are in need or being prosecuted, and exploring ways to connect to my fellow believers locally, nationally, and abroad. As I get older, visiting family members always brings me joy. While my family is not very good at it, I always enjoy a family reunion. Can you just imagine that great family reunion to come? Lord come quickly. Come, Lord Jesus!
Carter Dukes
