A Family Reunion

FOCUS READING

Genesis 5:2 (The Message)

This is the family tree of the human race; when God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God. He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race.

DAILY BYTE

These past few weeks have seen the arrival in Durban of over a thousand Christian people who worship in the Wesleyan tradition! Every five years, this conference gathers as the World Methodist Conference, coming together to learn, worship, pray, and celebrate the spirit of God. It’s a little bit like the World Cup of Methodism. Most of these folks come from Methodist denominations from around the globe – and being together in Durban has been a truly remarkable time. You have never heard such a rousing rendition of O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing! About two thousand people sang it together during the opening session of worship, and it was a force!

I was sitting up front, playing in the worship ensemble, and I realized that although some brilliant and passionate people were speaking at the front microphone, I was pretty indifferent to them. Instead, I was mesmerized by the gathering of people in front of me. People of every colour, culture, race, gender, and age, all sitting in one room, cameras flashing, everyone joyfully proclaiming that as people with many differences, we are still united in Christ! It was a sight to see.

And it occurred to me, as I watched people gather, slapping each other on the back and waving – as I spotted some of my seminary friends & professors in the crowd and someone from my home church region, that this gathering was a bit like a family reunion.

Some people were newer to the family, like me. Others, the mothers and fathers of the family, had been around, returning and again and again literally for generations – but when we stretched out our hands to greet each other, we knew, we belonged in the family.

This week, we will be exploring what it means to be a part of God’s united family, particularly through the lens of the story of Joseph’s reunion with his brothers in Genesis.

But for now, think about your own family. Whether your family consists of blood relatives, church friends, colleagues from work, mentors, etc. is entirely dependent upon your particular relationships. However, when you think of who constitutes your family – what is it that unites you? What makes you feel that you belong? Why are some people included in the “family,” while others are not? Do you and your “family” members behave in ways that trap and enslave, or do they embrace and set free?