Who, though, is your family?

[GodlyDevotion]

I wrote this yesterday. The lockdown has its benefits. My imagination is just growing wild 😁...

 

'Love' binds together. 'Death' tears apart. But then, Family sticks together through events, or throughout 'Life.' "We are what we've got," we say, and the motion continues with, "blood is thicker than water" - an english proverb that can't really be traced back to any source, a rather controversial statement.

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THERE was a long silence, it ran deep through the four corners of the dark room. Prayers were exchanged; heads were bowed in acknowledgment of their supreme leader. He made his way to the circle, blood still dripping from his hands. They had each slit the palm of their hands for the occasional ceremony, and the welcoming of their newest members. The atmosphere proved joyous but they knew not to show it; they were a serious cult. The foreman proceeded to make some incantations, babbling some meaningless words in the ears of a non-believer, and the others followed suit. After he finished, they sang songs of praise. The novel member was welcomed into a new family. And the fraternity rejoiced at the thought of a new member.
DANIEL rushed home happily with a report card in his diminutive hands, he couldn't wave off the boyish smile that had glistened on his face as he shows his card to his parents. What would they say, he thought, his father would no doubt give him a bear hug and buy him the latest toy game; his mother would surely prepare his favourite dish for the rest of the week and shower him plenty of love. The more he contemplated the many different scenarios of what could happen, the more his joy leaped, and the more he loved his family. He soon reached home, locked his eyes with his parents, then the emotions poured out...
IT was an eventful day, celebrated thrice in a year, it was the assembly, and the crowd had gathered round the pool cheering heartily for him. He was frail, old, and happy. And he was getting baptized. This, though, wasn't the case prior to the event. He had constantly knocked himself of the thought of dedicating himself to God. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, neither can you change the dog, he had repeatedly told his bible teachers. However, through more deep study, constant meditation, and prayers, he had managed to develop a new attitude towards dedication. It was not an easy feat, though, it had taken many sacrifices and effort on his part, but he lived through all of it; Josiah had seen better days. The momentous event had shown all of his efforts, with faces he didn't know smiling and shedding joyful tears for him. A thunderous round of applause filled the air as he came out of the water, with smiles glued to his face. He loved this new life. He loved his spiritual family.
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From the many different examples listed above, we see that family is a concept, a perspective of the human mind assured to make us feel calm, safe and happy. A mix of emotions revolve around the word, "family." Therefore, we can reasonably conclude 'family' is not attached to one meaning, instead, it attracts a variety of meanings. It is of essence to disregard the statement, "blood is thicker than water" and adopt a more suitable one, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." The family you choose for yourself is stronger than the one you're born to. 

[New World Explorer]

1 hour ago, GodlyDevotion said:

From the many different examples listed above, we see that family is a concept, a perspective of the human mind assured to make us feel calm, safe and happy. A mix of emotions revolve around the word, "family." Therefore, we can reasonably conclude 'family' is not attached to one meaning, instead, it attracts a variety of meanings. It is of essence to disregard the statement, "blood is thicker than water" and adopt a more suitable one, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." The family you choose for yourself is stronger than the one you're born to. 

Yes concept of family carries different definitions ... good and bad, for example one can belong to"crime family" associated with mafia and gangster activities.

Yes, we can "belong to various" families by choice, but the best one is of course the one established by Jehovah, and is not necessarily based on blood connections.

That's why we use term "spiritual family" as you stated. 

There is so much depth locked in the term - FAMILY.  

[Ahuvah]

I'd like to add ... that our HERITAGE are those fatihful ones in the scriptures and those in the Proclaimer books ...those in our congregation ... you are right  Brother Kayode ... what people consider a traditional family is often rejected or fragmented ... so many seek acceptance and love from other 'family groups' even if they are not a positive influence. 

 

"WE (you and I and everyone in the organization) are family even though we've not yet met."