Words of Life: An Enduring Legacyনমুনা

Dysfunctional families.

He is bald, overweight, loves beer, television, and doughnuts. He works as a safety inspector at the local nuclear power plant in Springfield, but is forever thinking up ideas to progress his family in one way or another. Unfortunately, he rarely gets things right – D’oh!

Yes, it’s Homer Simpson, father of the TV cartoon family The Simpsons. Marge, his long-suffering wife, is frequently embarrassed by his antics and serves as a moral barometer for the family. She adores her husband and often saves the day. Bart, their son, is a 10-year-old with attitude! His antisocial and unethical behaviour is often challenged, or changed, by his intelligent eight-year-old sister Lisa. Baby Maggie never speaks, but makes her presence felt. The Simpsons may appear dysfunctional, yet they are a loving family who depend on and trust one another. They may have differences of opinion, but when the crunch comes, they are totally united.

We tend to think of family as a group of parents and children, or near relatives having common ancestors. But some people rightly consider those who have enduring ties, similar interests and values, and who look after one another, as being ‘family’, even if not biologically connected. Jesus himself expanded the understanding of God’s family in today’s Scripture.

The Bible speaks of entering into God’s family through a spiritual birth, thanks to God's grace received by faith. God's family is an accepting family that offers the joy of belonging, and shares experiences, skills, and wisdom.

For some people who have been wounded by neglect or abuse when young, it is hard to believe that we are accepted despite our flaws and misbehaviour. We may have been acting outside of the norms of society because of our hurt or sense of inadequacy. But the truth is that, however damaged or broken we may feel our past dysfunctional life has been, God’s grace is available for us.

That doesn’t mean Christians always agree, but like the Simpsons we are united through God’s love in our hearts.