The text of a sermon preached at Guildford Cathedral on Sunday morning: there had been an interesting discussion on Twitter about family life, singleness, childlessness and marriage - and what the church assumes about our personal situation (the judgements or values we place on people as a result). Alongside that, we now find ourselves in the midst of a debate about Europe in the run up to a Referendum. What is our vision for union? Are we making a special case in the face of turmoil that we need to face together? See below for suggested resources to explore those questions. The readings were Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Romans 11:13-24.
"Do you have a family?"
It's perhaps one of the most obvious and seemingly innocuous
questions we ask in the midst of our ordinary social interactions.
"Do you have family?"
It's a question that can be made more or less generous - more or less intrusive - with the omission or inclusion of that one word: a.
A family: it conjures up an image perhaps of a family unit. Today life is far more complex than the
stereotype of parents plus 2.4 children. But if we live alone; if we aren't
parents; how do we answer?
Speaking of family, with the "a": perhaps it gives us
permission to talk about parents, siblings, granddads, cousins and honorary
aunts or uncles, even perhaps our godparents. It becomes more inter-generational; it sounds more diverse.
Even then, it doesn't account for the number of people with whom
we share our lives.
Today's readings take us several steps further: we are drawn into
a narrative of blessing, covenant and fruitfulness; it's a vision which extends
the notion of family beyond biological kinship. God's wider purpose is for the
whole world.
But how would Abram and Sarai answer? Do we see this geriatric
man and his barren wife as pitiable, vulnerable or as channels of grace and
hope? Their story is rich an complex and
you can follow it in full in the pages of Genesis. God called Abram to leave
his father's house aged 75 - he promises to bless him with a great name and a
great household.
With Sarai his wife, they travel in famine, plenty, hospitality
and enmity: perhaps childlessness in the face of promise becomes an intolerable
burden; impatiently they take matters into their own hands, and Abram has a
child Ishmael with Sarai's maid Hagar.
Now, some 20 years later, the language of multitude, offspring and nations
is repeated. The promise of blessing is renewed. Names change and hope is
renewed. Isaac will be more. Their family isn't singular - 'a family' - it is
rich, complex and fraught; a family of nations and faiths.
Such covenanted relationships operated across three dimensions:
rooted in the faithful call of God, Abraham and Sarah respond in trust for the
sake of a blessing that transcends time. It's a blessing that unfolds in the
mystery of the incarnation, in who Jesus is.
These notions of family, calling and promise are precisely the
things that Paul is grappling with as he writes to the Christian community in
Rome. Elsewhere he has declared his credentials as a one who was circumcised on
the eighth day, a Hebrew of Hebrews; righteous, zealous and blameless.
But now, he is rejoicing in his ministry to the Gentile
community: his notion of a family of God - of people of faith - has been
radically expanded. In Jesus Christ, he
sees God's action in reconciling the whole world. He agonised over this - spiritually,
theologically - because this hope comes seems to be related to the rejection of
the good news of Christ by his own people.
In struggling to make sense of this he uses language he uses of stumbling and failure,
even of branches been thrown away reveals the depth of his own turmoil. And yet and yet, he sees some continuity of
God's purposes: it is the same faithfulness, the same hope and ultimately the
same family.
In God's plan, the people of Israel and the Gentile community are
interdependent: the holiness of the first fruits sanctify the whole, the health
of the cherished roots strengthens the branches. He extends a gardening
metaphor in a way which stretches horticultural viability - not only are wild
branches grafted in, but those which have been cut off can be re-grafted.
Such is the hope of this family of nations - the multitude of
those loved and called by God - that it is cosmic in scope. If the rejection of
Jesus by Jews brings reconciliation to the world; then their acceptance of
God's ways will bring even more life.
We can never boast says Paul in an 'exclusive' or 'special'
relationship with God that forecloses on the divine promise of redemption to
all. There is one tree. For all of us our faith rests on the
faithfulness of God. Our hope is a hope for the whole world.
We are called to seek and serve that wider purpose - in the power
of the Spirit.
The Gospel reframed questions about family: regardless of
tradition or status; our parentage or parenting. Our family includes the holy
first fruits of brothers and sisters across denominations and faith traditions;
it includes the rootedness of our family in Syria, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and
Iraq. How does citizenship of heaven, through the cross of Christ, shape our
earthly responsibilities?
How might this notion of a holy family - a multitude of nations,
peoples living in covenantal relationships - shape our own engagement with the
EU Referendum? It is Bishop Nick Baines puts it in his blog an act of faith. As Europe
faces crises: reform of institutions, renewal of vision, challenges to
financial systems, thousands of refugees, upheaval on our boards, what dare we
say about the place of 'union'?
As the
debate unfolds, we are being asked to consider what are the basic principles of
our life together; to discern a bigger vision how earthly realms manifest the
virtues and hopes of a heavenly kingdom.
© Julie Gittoes 2016
A multi-disciplinary offering space for Christian reflection on Europe: http://www.reimaginingeurope.co.uk/
The Rt Rev'd Nick Baines (Bishop of West Yorkshire and the Dales):
https://nickbaines.wordpress.com/
The Very Rev'd Michael Sadgrove (former Dean of Durham):
http://northernwoolgatherer.blogspot.co.uk/
