Strange And Chosen Relatives

Monday, May 10, 2021

I had an aunt who, for a gift, gave me a piece of synthetic rubber from a factory. I had an uncle who had a mysterious occupation. We later found out he was a bookie - but he was my uncle. And then there was that cousin who joined a cult and burned incense and chanted mantras. But he was my cousin. Relatives are in a class by themselves. You don't associate with them because you have the same interests or because you find them to be the most desirable of people. They're your family. And so it is in the Lord. The people in your congregation are chosen - not because you chose them - but because God did. They're your spiritual relatives. You don't have to choose them - you just have to love them. You love them, stick with them, help them, visit them, you accept them with all their faults. After all, you're related to them by blood - the blood of the Messiah.rn

From Message #306 - The Unlikely Temple