All God's Children

Romans 14:10-12
You, then why do you judge your brother or sister?  Or why do you treat them with contempt?  For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.  It is written:  "As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God."  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Granddaughter, Virginia Rose, my mother and I are gathered at the small dining table enjoying a simple lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, in my opinion, the ultimate in comfort food.  Out of the blue, Virginia pipes up with this observation.  Pointing first to me and then to her great grandmother, she says, "You're my Gammie and you're my Nana, but you're also my sisters."

Mom and I exchange quizzical looks.  "Virginia," I say, not understanding where she is coming from (yes, I can be quite obtuse at times), "Savannah and Alexandra are your sisters, not Nana and Gammie."

Virginia cocks her head to one side, and asks, "Aren't we all God's children?"

"Why, yes, honey, we sure are," I readily confirm.

"Then you're my sisters," she declares.  "We're all sisters and brothers; everyone in the whole world!"

Wow!  You could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather!  I know that I've told Virginia many times before that God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children, but after checking with daughter, Sarah, to see is she has told Virginia about the brother/sister connection, I discover it's a conclusion this sage six-year-old has come to all on her own.

That's HUGE!  (My word for the year)

~

Today marks the inception of a new era in American history as President Trump officially takes the oath of office.  For some of you, this is a day of joy and hope; for others, it may feel like the beginning of the end.

The past election cycle will be remembered, I fear, as one of the most divisive and mean-spirited in recent history.  Tragically, this propelled many Christians into judging their brothers and sisters, and treating them with contempt for their political stance.  And in many instances, the bridges of love and friendship, once so steadfast, burned to the ground.

My hope and prayer as our nation moves forward is this:  May we look past our difference long enough to see the commonality we share.

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, called to love others in His name.

We are all God's children.

And it's about time we act like it.

After all, if a six-year-old can figure it out, why can't we?

Amen!