Exodus chapter 18
When's the last time you attended a family reunion?
Not long ago these were a popular way to maintain the ties that bind within families. But, if your family is like most others, then you have given up on this idea and in it's place have learned to rely on technology to stay connected.
We now have the capability to connect with people, share pictures, daily life stories, etc. and never leave our house. As spread out as families have become, the use of technology has offered a way for us to remain somewhat connected without having to use those valuable vacation days, without the expense of travelling, and without the hassle of organizing around everyone's busy calendars. My family stopped having reunions when I was a boy. Now, we rely upon free long distance cell phone services, Facebook, email, texting, and the obligatory holiday visits to maintain those ties that bind. What do you do? Does anyone sill have an actual annual family reunion?
In today's text, Moses had a family reunion. Jethro, his father-in-law came to visit him, and brought with him his wife and two children. We're a little unsure, at this point in the text, how long it has been since Moses has seen his family, but by the reading we recognize that it has been a long enough time to evoke a very joyous reunion.
Reunions are good for the soul. Of course, if the reunion lingers, the memories of why we left in the first place may indeed begin to creep into the joy of the occasion, but maintaining the ties that bind us to friends and family is important work. I find that every family has at least one person who is really good at this. For me, it's my mother. One hearty phone call to my mother will yield all the information I need to stay abreast of my entire family. Now, that doesn't negate the necessity to still stay in touch with them, but usually by the time I contact my siblings or my neices, I already know what's going on because of my contact with my mom. My family doesn't have annual family reunions, but it is noticeable that the family relies upon my mom and technology to keep everyone connected. There's probably someone in your family who does that. If it's you, recognize the valuable role you play within the family. Do it well, and avoid gossip. If it's not you, then identify who this person is. Today would be a good day to thank him/her for the role he/she plays within the family.
You are part of a spiritual family too. You are an adopted child of God, and personal friend of Jesus, God's son. God's family gathers together for a spiritual reunion every time we share Holy Communion. It's not quite the same as an annual picnic, but there's food and there's a strengthening of the ties that bind us together as one holy church. In this family Jesus is the one who plays the role of holding the family together. We may not find Jesus on Facebook, and he doesn't carry a cell phone, but he has given us the gift of faith and the freedom to pray. When we pray, we are connecting to God, Jesus, and all the saints. It's like one giant, spiritual teleconference. :-)
Sometimes we think of prayer too narrowly. We think of it as something we need to do in order to get God to listen to our needs. God already knows what we need before we even ask. But, when we pray we allow our faith to connect us together. It's like when I call my mom. I may already know most of what she's going to say, and she is probably aware of most of what I'm going to say. But, sharing that moment connected, communicating with each other, is more important for the relationship than the things we actually say. The same is true about prayer. Whether or not God answers our prayers the way we want Him to isn't what is of primary importance. What's important is just that we stay connected. God has given us two very easy ways to do that: prayer, and weekly Holy Communion.
Lord God, thank you for my family. They are a precious glimpse of your love for your Church. Help me to maintain the ties that bind us together. Thank you for adopting me, through baptism, into your holy and eternal family. Thank you as well, for giving me the gift of faith, the freedom to pray, and the reunion of Holy Communion. Encourage me to make good use of these gifts in order remain connected to you. In Jesus' name. Amen
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