Yesterday and today we are at a family reunion of those from my father’s side. The gathering is not as large as it has been in past years. Several cousins could not be here for various reasons. My sister and one brother are absent and none of our children came.
However those who could be here all say we wish we could do it more often than once every five years or so. In years past, our parents were part of our gathering. Now all but one of that generation is gone. As for those who are left, the oldest is around 70, the youngest in diapers.
This family has an uncommon link. My father was one of six. He and his siblings married and grew up in the same community or within a short distance. These families farmed together, celebrated holidays together, and the cousins (around 16 of us) grew up together. As we review our history, and look through our photo albums, we feel a sense of solidarity that some families do not have. One of the little girls found out that I printed out a family tree and is anxious to see it today. From her, it goes back seven generations.
The Scripture I read this morning reminds me that the family of God has a longer and even more incredible history which also gives those in it a sense of solidarity. Because of our “family tree” we are strong and close to one another. In my physical family, some also belong to this spiritual family, giving us a ‘double-bond’ that is truly special.
The verses are 1 Peter 1:20-21: “He (Jesus) indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Jesus, the common denominator of the Christian family, is the eternal Son of God who, in the plan of God, has always been designated as our Savior and the One who would be the leader and hope of those who believe in Him. That this was planned before the world began gives us a sense of permanence. The world is constantly changing, but Jesus is our anchor, our link to one another and our eternal hope. He is at the top of the Christian family tree.
As our family shares our heritage and our memories this weekend, I’m so glad that some of us can honor the Lord with our faith and share in the assurance that as the years go by, we will not only be kin here on earth, but brothers and sisters in Christ forever in eternity.
Somehow the lot has fallen to me to research our family tree. My family, both near and far, want to know their roots, but none of them want to dig them up.
The task is not my favorite. I get totally bogged down, even after taking a workshop on how to do it. The ‘experts’ say, ask one question about one ancestor, and focus; dig until you find it. This means searching in various places using various resources. My problem is while I am in that one search for one answer, I think, “While I’m in here, I might as well see if this resource has anything about so-and-so.”
That makes me go in circles for hours. Then, when I’ve moved on, I can’t remember who and what I’ve already looked for. I’m okay with the focused questions if I write them in my research log, but seldom think to record the rabbit trails, and get annoyed with myself for wasting so much time running down them.
Staying focused on one question is difficult. I’ve a variety of places where the answer could be found, or not. I can look on the Internet with its vast array of free and commercial sites. It’s kind of cool to find a relative on an old census, but most of the sites want money up front before they tell me if the “hit” is really the person and information I want. Or I might discover that I have to send away for a microfilm, or go to the archives, or get into a chat room.
If the question is interesting, and the search becomes fascinating detective work, I can do it. If it is the date someone got married, or the year they arrived in Canada, or some other statistical data, my interest quickly lags. The only great find so far was discovering two distant cousins I didn’t know I had, contacting them by email, and getting to know them, including that they are both Christians.
Some people think genealogy is extremely important because there is so much of it in the Bible. However, most of that is given to trace the human history of Jesus Christ and to prove that He is a descendant of David, just as the promised Messiah would be. Other lists simply show what family someone came from and that people are who they are.
I’m thinking most people today use genealogy records to give them a sense of identity, a sense of belonging. When I found the spot in Scotland, perhaps even the very house, where my grandfather was born, I felt affirmed as a member of my clan, but I already know who I am.
What has any of this to do with my relationship with God, my every day life, and my eternal destiny? Maybe that is my problem—I can’t see the point of doing this. My identity is in Christ, not in my family records.
Today’s devotional took me to a family tree in 1 Chronicles 4. At the end it says, “Now the records are ancient. These were the potters and those who dwell at Netaim and Gederah; there they dwell with the king for his work.”
The comment says that each person has his or her work to do. In those days, you could be a soldier or a gate-keeper, but your role was vital to the kingdom. The same is true today. In the service of my King, Jesus Christ, whatever role He gives me has value. I’m not an evangelist reaching thousands, nor a parking lot attendant sorting cars in the church lot each Sunday, but my role fills a spot that suits my King—and I didn’t find that out studying my family tree!
Yesterday and today we are at a family reunion of those from my father’s side. The gathering is not as large as it has been in past years. Several cousins could not be here for various reasons. My sister and one brother are absent and none of our children came.