The key to developing family relationships is growth and maturation. Mature thinking over childish behavior is usually the best alternative. The mission of a successful family is unity…working together for a common goal.
ONE FAMILY, HELD IN THE GOSPEL OF LOVE
Who is this one family? What does it mean to be held in the gospel of love?
Is this a place every person can expect to reach, or is this a fantasy? How does one build solid family relationships?
The answers to these questions are at the root of family ties–ties separate a mother from daughter, father from son, and pit one sibling against another. Such interrelations have existed since biblical times. They are evident in the “Cain Slew Abel” and ” Jacob and Esau stolen birthright” stories. Human resistance to peace, harmony and love is the nature of mortal thinking. It focuses on self-love, righteousness judgment and personal aggrandizement.
FAMILY DEFINED
The word “family” suggests commonality, sameness, or cohesiveness. Dictionary.com defines family as “a fundamental social group in society, typically consisting of one or two parents and their children. Two or more people who share goals and values. People who have long-term commitments to one another and reside usually in the same dwelling place.” As I read each one, I applied the same question, “What does this definition have that keeps one member of the family from saying or doing things to harm another?” The answer? Nothing. If you think I am wrong, ask yourself, ” Has the fact that my sibling(s) and I have the same parents, have common goals and values, live or lived in the same house and have long-term commitments, maintained harmony in my our family? ” I applaud you if you can answer Yes.
A Perfect KINSHIP
How is a perfect kinship defined? Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, written by Mary Baker Eddy, says, ” Immortals, or God’s children in divine Science, are one harmonious family; but mortals or the “children of men” in material sense, are discordant and oftentimes false brethren”(p.444).
Divine Science refers to “demonstration of divine Law.” This law is “‘unconditional love”– love that remains love under all conditions and situations. An example could be: The male teenager next door raped your six-year-old daughter . . . do you still love him? Yes! I hear you thinking, “That woman is crazy.” Let’s slow down a bit. There is a difference between loving the act committed by the teenager and loving the teenager! The act is despicable! You say, “But the teenager did it! How can I love him?” Love him by changing the identity of him in your thoughts.
IMPROVING YOUR PERCEPTION
Let’s look at him again with a higher level of thought. There is only one creator, and that Creator is God. All that God created is good. If this is true, the teenager has to be good. If he is good, he could not have committed such an act. If he didn’t, who did? Looking at the other key phrase, “material sense,” we can identify the person as a mortal. Children of men have no real existence (according to the laws of God) because they have no creator. God is the sole Creator and his creation is good. So, who is this person? He is a false sense of man–a counterfeit of the perfect man. You have a choice of holding the false sense in thought, and feeling hate and pain, or latching on to the perfect man, and feeling goodness and mercy. Which one makes you feel better? You decide.
God’s Power Builds a Perfect Bloodline
How do you mentally see the teenager? You use everything in your power to see the perfect man for yourself . . . and your daughter. Activate the presence and power of God! Holding in thought the man who is kind, loving, pure–one who would never hurt anyone, begins to free you from the “I would like to kill him” mentality and generate harmony in your life. You must get there! Is it easy? No! No! No! You get there anyway! Trust God’s guidance and you will be surprised how everything falls into place. Mercy and justice, even when divine, are not blind. Acknowledgement of divine truth, eliminates human error. Being able to separate God’s children from children of men, will bring healing in your life. This is the power of divine Law. Not only does it bring justice, it also brings mercy.
The Perfect Family is God-Interconnected
Once every man is identified as a child of God, attaining a perfect family becomes easy, because there is no room for imperfection in perfection. Therefore, if one sees every family member as perfect, immortal, all activity by that family has to be harmonious, as Mary Baker Eddy says in her statement above. It is only when man is viewed as mortal or children of men, that disharmony prevails. “Held in the gospel of love,” is the last part of the statement. The “gospels” are usually referred to as the teachings of Jesus, and the foundation of his teachings is love. Therefore, at all times and in all situations, we must keep one word in thought–love. True love precludes any semblance of discord or imperfection.
Key Factors That Determine True Family Relations
Recognize that all members have one Parent–Father/Mother God.
Discover the true identity of each member. It may be the opposite of what your senses are telling you.Strive to see each member as a child of God.
Demonstrate love, patience and understanding, even if it is not shown toward you.
Determine if the character traits you are exhibiting, match divine character traits, if not, make the adjustment.Correct negative and destructive criticism.
Respect individual differences.
Be honest, even when it hurts.
Listen to each other with FULL attention.
Show appreciation, love and support.
YOUR SUCCESS
If you are successful in achieving the key factors above, you are well on your way to demonstrating harmonious relationships. It is essential to point out that you are only responsible for demonstrating these for yourself . . . and not the next person. Working out another’s salvation is not your job.
Building solid kinships can seem like a daunting process, if you leave out “One God, one family, held in the gospel of love.” These set the stage for true growth and true demonstration.