Hi everyone,
So I don’t know how many of you keep up with the video game news, but Nintendo’s new console was sort of announced earlier this week. I mean “sort of” as it was just a trailer type video that didn’t share all that much information of what the console could do. This of course was exciting for me, as Nintendo’s consoles over the years gave much to us in the way of our family time.
Just yesterday, in fact, we had gathered around the TV and turned on a game that we recently acquired. There were laughs, cheers, and maybe even a little trash talk (the dad of this family can be pretty competitive). But one thing is clear whenever we play games together: we all have different skill levels when it comes to games.
We have our eldest who is basically good at every game you put in front of him, but is also really humble and helps others alongside him. Then our second who isn’t as good but works really hard and isn’t afraid to try new things. And there’s our youngest, who isn’t by any means as good as the other two but is super lucky and somehow ends on top more than we’d ever imagine possible. And of course, let’s not forget their mom who makes it look like she lets them win. And their dad, who… let’s be honest… is the best of them all (or maybe it’s just a competitive spirit).
But through it all, we are a family. We continue to work together where we can, filling in the gaps where some of them lack, and sharing the joy of the game together in spite of our differences and skill sets.
And who knows? Maybe in the future all that will change. Maybe one of them will outgrow their dear old dad. Maybe one of them will get sick of the games. But we will remain a family. That won’t ever change.
These are the readings for next week:
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
And a video of me reading them:
These texts remind me of family. The nation of Israel was a family. The Corinthian church was a family whether they liked it or not. And Nazareth was a family even if they may not have seen it that way.
I read somewhere that the official definition of a family is something like, “a group of people that self-defines themselves as a family.” That sounds a bit of a cop out to me, as I’ve always thought a family is a group of people of varying make-up, sizes, and levels of diversity, that are joined together by something. Anything, even. And if that thing that joins them brings them close enough to see themselves as a family? Then they’re a family.
They don’t all have to be the same. They don’t all have to like or do the same things. They don’t even have to share the same genes. But the connection is what is important.
The good news here is that we are all connected, because we are all children of God. We are joined together through grace, brought together by the Spirit, and can live together in community. We are a family, nay, the body of Christ in the world, connected to each other with Jesus as the head.
So even in difference, we are joined together. Even in diversity, we are connected. Even in the distinctiveness and dissimilarity of our skill levels and talents, we are all beloved children of God, redeemed and freed from the shackles of our sin.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!