Pop culture often reflects what we think, value, and believe. For example, one thing that we all value is family.
So there’s been a variety shows over the years like the Partridge Family, the Simpsons, Married with Children, or Modern Family, that attempt to reflect different experiences of family life. We may relate to some of them, or maybe none at all.
But I’m sure we’d all agree that the family is the place where the deepest love – and yet the deepest wounds – can be felt. It’s the place where plates can fly one minute, and shouts of laughter can be heard the next.
It is where life is created, where children are affirmed, where we find our deepest sense of belonging. It’s a place where Jesus eagerly desires to make himself known.
And today he tells us how to make God present: “Love one another” (John 15:17).
***
I grew up in a single-parent household, so my family consisted of my mom, my older brother, me, and a few pets along the way. Thus Mom had the sole joy and the sole responsibility of raising us, whatever the highs or lows may have been.
For example, I remember when I was little I would occasionally have nightmares. I’d wake up in a panic, and rush downstairs to my mother’s room, where I’d curl up with a blanket and sleep at the foot of her bed.
She was never bothered by my presence. She’d just sit up, kiss me on the forehead, and assure me that everything would be ok. The boogey man lurking in my dreams wouldn’t catch me that night…
I also remember the years Mom spent driving my brother and me to school before going off to work herself. Eight to ten hours later, she’d come home, prepare us dinner, do the dishes, and tuck me back into bed.
Mom wasn’t perfect, but in many ways, she was my hero. She put clothes on my back, food in my stomach, and a roof over my head. Most importantly, she loved me. She said it, she showed it, and I knew it.
***
I’m sure all of our parents gathered here this morning make the same sacrifices for their children.
You get up and go to work everyday, even when you’re tired; you bring them to church, you do the laundry, cook dinner at night, buy your children clothes and toys, even when money is tight…
… you listen to their dreams, cheer them on at their sporting events, affirm them with hugs, and hope that somehow their futures will be better than your own.
This is how Jesus reaches out to us – he hugs us, he laughs with us, he cries with us, and he blesses us through our families.
Together, we build up the kingdom of God one day, one small gesture, at a time.
Let’s pause, then, and consider how exactly we do that in our own homes. How do we build up the kingdom of God by loving one another as Jesus has commanded us?
***
Conversely, do we ever tear that kingdom down? Are we ever rude or disrespectful towards one another? Do we ever fight? Do we miss opportunities to listen to each other, to pray together, or to spend quality time together?
Are there ways that we might grow in love?
***
Let me offer just one suggestion. We must remember our grandparents. They are the bearers of our history, the ones who loved us first.
But life can get so busy that we can forget to include them, causing some of our grandparents to fear they will be forgotten. If you’re able to, thank them and tell them you love them today.
***
And maybe that’s the key for any family, any marriage, or any close relationship – end each day on a positive note, reminding those closest to you just how much they’re loved.
If we do, then we will continue building the kingdom of God one day, one small gesture, at a time.