"I mean, it's family..."

“You all are the family of God”

(Ephesians 2:19)

 

It seems like the one phrase, “I mean, it’s family . . .,” saves the family itself often. During situations our family does not seem as lovely. . . when I want to hide from embarrassment. . . this phrase has, again, oftentimes protected the family. 

 

There is a certain belief in the phrase “I mean it’s family . . .” A family is not something one can shake up. A family is something important that we should always protect. This belief is what protects the family. However, when this simple phrases changes into, “What type of family is like this” (In Korean: “가족인데 뭐” → “가족이 뭐 이래”), relationships can easily start to crack, even when it is family. 

 

A church is God’s family. Through the church, a new spiritual life is born and through the love and sacrifice of the church does it grow. We are a family, related in the love and blood of Jesus Christ. What we need is faith. The faith to be able to say,“I mean, it’s family.” 

 

The family we know and experience is not a meeting of perfect people. It is an organization made up of lacking husbands, lacking wives, and — of course — lacking children. If they do not try to love each other, try to understand each other, try to forgive each other, family will become a very painful organization.

 

Through the phrase, “I mean it’s family . . .” we love once more, we understand once more, we forgive once more, and laugh once more. In this way does a family start to progress step by step, becoming more and more ‘family-like’. 

 

The church, which is God’s family, also of course, is a fragile organization made up of lacking pastors and church members. “I mean it’s family . . .” Through this phrase and faith does the church become more and more like a family

 

Best, Pastor Ji-won Choi.