In many parts of Canada, Family Day (Jour de la famille in Quebec) is celebrated on the third Monday of February. Not only does it provide a day off in the middle of winter, its real purpose is to remind us of, and to celebrate with, those who constitute 鈥渇amily鈥� for us.
As usual, I looked for dictionary meanings and here鈥檚 what I came up: first, 鈥渁 group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit.鈥� It doesn鈥檛 take any thinking to realize that definition isn鈥檛 nearly broad enough in today鈥檚 society but it鈥檚 a beginning.
The second definition that popped up on my computer screen read like this: 鈥渁ll the descendants of a common ancestor鈥�. Well that certainly describes the wonderful family I married into but it also indicates that members of our 鈥渂rood鈥� extend into countless countries, centuries and contexts.
A third definition given lists 鈥渁 group of related things鈥� thus making folks with no blood or ancestral relationship, members of a family. Hmm, that does describe how I feel about our immediate neighbourhood. Though we rarely see each other except in passing, I wouldn鈥檛 hesitate to call on anyone who lives on our street and in the same block as us if I was in real need.
My church family has always been a vital part of my life. While there鈥檚 no such thing as a perfect church, total unity of doctrine or complete personal compatibility, our 鈥渇amily鈥� worships together as a unit. We鈥檙e all believers through a common Saviour and I feel related to them as brothers and sisters. Sadly, not everyone finds themselves in that situation but I pray each of you, my readers, will find such a God honouring home.
鈥淧raise God for the privilege of being in Christ鈥檚 family 鈥�.鈥� 1 Peter 4:16
