Long before you and I arrived here on planet earth, long before our grandparents, and even longer before them, God was. God, in the divine mystery of the Trinity, existed within himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. Within the Godhead exists the fullness of relationship – the internal mutuality of the giving of love (sacrifice) and the receiving of love (grace).
“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
– Nehemiah 9:6
But, as you and I know, the love of God can’t be contained and so the creation narrative finds its beginning. And the good news is—the story of redemption is woven into the very fabric of the creation narrative, building and unfolding until this day. We are the benefactors of this great narrative, all a part of one big family, journeying together on the great adventure God has placed before us until all is made new. This is indeed good news!
As Christians, we believe in the inherent dignity of every individual. Made in God’s image, we believe that dignity—the preciousness of our individuality—should be acknowledged and affirmed. For many of us, this has been affirmed through the nurture and connectedness of a loving family. For countless others, the space that should have been occupied by a loving family has been replaced by disruption and loss.
Still there is hope.
As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
The body of Christ—the corporate body of believers—is an expression of family and belonging for so many worldwide. We are all part of the family!