Video

Family

Our good friend Krish Kandiah is a bit of a hero in our books. He’s the President of London School of Theology, plus founder of the charity Home for Good, that works to find loving foster homes for vulnerable children.

We asked Krish to share some of his thoughts on how God is asking us to reframe what we mean by the word ‘family’. In the context of the current refugee crisis, his reflections are pretty challenging and relevant. Have a watch, and share the vid!

Some thoughts and questions to think through…

1. What defines family for you?
We’ve all got different families. Some of us might have grown up with just one, or no parents, whilst others of us have mum, dad, brothers, sisters, pet dog and a massive extended family too. How have those experiences impacted you? What is your ideal form of family?

2. How is God’s idea of family different from ours?
Being a Christian gives us a massive shift in our understanding of what family means. 1 John 3:1 says ‘See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God’. Accepting Jesus means we get a new Father, but that also means we get a new family too. Our love of God, and His Spirit in us, gives us, as Christians, a connection or bond that Biblical writers liken to family. God’s idea of family isn’t simply about biology, or even a geographic proximity. It goes beyond all of that… it’s something much bigger.

3. How does this effect how you view your own family, and your church family?
We all know that we don’t get to choose our families. We have to stick with what we’ve got, through good and bad! That’s true of our church family as much as our biological families. Look at Daniel in the video. He’s a young leader whose church is suddenly overwhelmed by hundreds of Christians fleeing Islamic State. Scared, tormented and tired, they needed help and safety. The church was the only place they thought of going. He does what all good families do and offers a place of safety. Like Daniel, God is asking us to be people who are inclusive, open and desperate to show his love to those around us. He’s also calling us to widen our perspectives and see our global church family as important as the people we see each week on a Sunday at church! Will we respond?

4. In what ways is God calling us to redefine our ways of being and doing our biological, and church, families?

Pray…

• Ask God to help you redefine your understanding of family
• Pray for Daniel and other leaders helping to create, restore and maintain family in Iraq
• Pray for help in showing God’s love to others

Want to help?

Sign this: Put your name to this letter asking the UK government to act…
Give: We’re supporting thousands of families in Iraq and Syria, including those in Daniel’s care, as they try to live a normal life in the midst of carnage. Our relief packs contain essential food supplies. Text ODYG15 £4 to 70070 to give £4, which can provide much needed weekly supplies for one person. You can also make a gift on our giving page!
Give now…