Our Familial Connection

3/11/11

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21 NIV


This morning I woke up to the news of the 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan and is sending aftershocks and Tsunami’s to other areas including the United States West Coast. I prayed for the people of Japan and I prayed for all of those affected by all of it’s aftershocks and tidal waves and whatever else will come out of this disaster. My uncle and his friend are vacationing in Hawaii and I’m not sure if they have already come back or not but I’m sure if they are there they are experiencing this on a different level. My best friend lived in Japan for five years and has a lot of friends in the areas affected. One of the women in my church community grew up in Japan, as her parents were missionaries there, and still has friends and family in the area. Through six degrees of separation, we are probably all connected in some way to someone affected by this natural disaster.
As I prayed this morning, I realized that although these disasters are terrible and have so many tragic outcomes for many people, sometimes its the only thing that reminds us of how powerless we really are as humans. And it also reminds us of how connected to one another we really are. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have known anyone in Japan to my knowledge. Now, I have people there who I could visit if I choose. Three weeks ago, I didn’t know anyone vacationing in Hawaii, but now during this natural disaster, I thought of my family in the area who happened to decide to go there at this particular time. I am now praying for the people of Hawaii differently than I would have three weeks ago had this occurred. I am praying for the people in Japan differently than I would have five or ten years ago. The expansion of my network has caused an expansion in my heart towards the things of this world.
It’s a shame that sometimes it takes natural disasters to remind us to turn to God, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus prayed for his disciples that the world would know that they belong to him by the love they had for one another. He prayed for those who claim to belong to him to be one. He prayed for us to be united in love with one another just as he is connected to the Father. That would mean that in Christ we have all been united weather we know each other by face or name or not. That means that we have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews all over the world in the body of Christ. Our family blood line in Christ extends worldwide. You may not have met your uncle in Japan yet, but he’s there and right now he needs your prayers. You may not know your mother in Hawaii, but right now she needs you to pray for her peace. You may not know your cousin in Guam, but right now you need to pray for them like you do. If we can all pray for one another as if we are all from the same bloodline, then maybe when we do meet, we can act more like family than strangers.
I pray for the members of my family and my friends in a certain way, because I know them. I may know what to pray, how to pray and what they are in need of. I have a relationship with them, so I can pray more specifically. Sometimes they ask me to pray for them in specific areas. But that doesn’t mean that those in the body of Christ around the world don’t share something in common with you. We all are bound not by our blood but by the blood of Jesus. That makes us family. And we know something about this family. We know that they take communion, talk to God through Jesus and not through another intermediary. We know the scriptures they read and we know that right now they are praying for one another, just as we should be praying for them. So if you don’t know anything else, you can pray for them specifically using this knowledge.
Well what about those who don’t know Christ? Jesus didn’t say that we were to pray only for other Christians. He died for the sins of the world, not just the sins of those who believe. And those people are in need of our prayers too. We know that they are afraid, some hurt, anxious, frustrated, lonely, confused, angry, grieving and may feel abandoned. We can pray for their peace, their healing, their comfort, their strength and their hope. And if they do not know God personally, we can pray that this disaster draws them closer to the God who gives all of these things. We pray that those who do know God become living examples of who He is, even in the midst of disaster. We can pray that there will be some who come to believe in the living God through this disaster. So no matter what we pray for those affected, we should pray like we are all affected. Because in truth we are. What affects one of us affects all of us in some way. No matter what, Jesus prayed for us to be one, and we know that the Father always heard Jesus’ prayers. So like it or not, we are connected. So today, I pray for my family in Japan, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Guam, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, because today our family needs prayer.