Christian faith is certainly nurtured in families, but can today’s “families” see themselves in God’s story found in Scripture? The book A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss and Longing by Rosalind C. Hughes (Chalice Press, 2020) is a balm to families that, like mine, include adoption and therefore brokenness and loss at the core of why we are together. The author is both an adult adoptee and an Episcopal priest, so can attest to her reading of Scripture with her life.
Hughes writes:
“The intricate and interlacing patterns of family; the mirrored themes of love, loss, and longing; these run throughout the stories of our spiritual ancestors—nothing is left out. Within the grand acts and arias of the Bible, the whole of human experience is laid bare, and within its cadences, its syncopated rhythms, its lyric moments, its polyphonic harmony and discord, we find our own family history, suspended somewhere between grief and glory.” (page 17)
What might it look like to read this accessible book alongside the Bible with all the families in our children, youth and family ministries or the congregation in general? We may discover that the umbrella of God’s family is much larger than our first impression. And our stories are part of God’s story too.
What are you learning from these days? Share your suggestions for books, articles, podcasts and other media with colleagues in the Learning Lab and we may feature your suggestions on The Faith+Leader.
Other Book Suggestion Posts:
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