Begin New Sayings
John 15:12 CEB
This IS My Fam
My oldest granddaughter was born in the year of our Lord 2000.
I’ve written about my grandchildren being my most excellent teachers. As I watch each one of them I am constantly amazed by their wisdom and tenacity.
I’m also a little envious of their capability to remember.
I’m not saying that because I’m older. I’m saying that because my ability to remember details has always alluded me. I don’t know if that’s because of a childhood illness I had where the doctors told my parents I would have brain damage if I lived or if it’s because of some other reason. All I know is that if I have to memorize a lot of data, it takes a great deal of time and effort.
Every one of my grandchildren (my second generation tribe) can remember intricate details of facts and events.
I am also enamored by their wisdom.
I’m not certain their wisdom is relegated only to them. I’ve noticed that many who were born in Gen Z and Generation Alpha possess an awareness of our world.
I’d even go so far as to say they are WOKE.
Allow me to explain…the first time I heard the new saying, “This is my fam” I thought it was a cutesy clever way of referring to their family of origin.
I immediately pictured The Waltons seated around the table sharing a meal together. Or I thought about how they helped each other out when they were in a jam.
So…when I learned that the term Fam did not necessarily refer only to their family of origin, I was puzzled. So…I made it my business to investigate.
According to sources today’s ever clever children are referring to anyone and everyone within their circle of influence AND in the circles of those who have influence.
When I was woke about it, I was overcome with blessing and gratitude!
I thought of John 15:12, “This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.”
While boomers and even busters many times appear to think of groups of people in segments, those born after 2000 do not segment people in the same way.
What struck me so (like a hard slap in the face) is that according to scripture, God does not segment people in categories either.
God calls us to love. We are not called to love family first, close friends next, acquaintances next, new people we meet next, and strangers last.
You have to understand it was never my intention to think in those terms…but I automatically think in categories.
And…AND furthermore I started to wonder if those categories color my world? I had to take a good hard look at how I think and ask myself if I approach loving others based on those categories.
While I pondered that, I also had to consider how I can retrain my ole brain to see everyone in my circle in the same way.
How DO I rethink the underlying thought that my FAM refers to people I am not related to by birth or adopted into the family in some other way.
As I write this I haven’t drawn any conclusions but I have formulated questions that I’m holding onto in the back pocket of my mind.
All of this reminded me of one of my Seminary professors who was undoubtedly one of the most influential educators I’ve had the privilege to “sit with”. He proposed a thought that it’s okay to wrestle with the truth. He suggested that as we ask hard questions of God, we are allowing God to show us new truth. We are open to new emerging thoughts and possibilities.
In other words…asking the question is absolutely the right thing to do.
He did not stipulate that there would be a finite answer. He simply suggested that as we ask, a door can open and when that door opens new thought emerges.
The new thought in this case is that FAM includes humans (and dogs in my case…yours may be cats or hamsters, etc.)
The point, the real point is that loving another literally means another.
We are called to love another.
It doesn’t matter how we know them or how long we’ve known them. It doesn’t matter if our DNA matches, or if they’re Irish (in my case). What matters is that we open our heart and give God permission to create love between us and them.
FAM. We ARE Fam.
Out of the mouths of babes I rethink my segments and categories.
God loves us and wants us to pass it on. It’s a commandment.
John 15:12 says, “This is my commandment: Love each other just as I have loved you.”
Spiritual Practice: Love
How do you think of love?
In God, Deborah
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