I love the Fast and the Furious franchise. At least until around movie 6 or 7, when they suspended all sense of reality and went off the deep end with the stunts. But it is still a very enjoyable franchise. One thing that stood tall and firm in the movie is “family” over everything. Even when people were dead wrong, they were “family,” so outsiders stay over there.
We got this! That’s how most people are taught. Family is very important. That’s your blood, and it is thicker than water. I am a firm believer that family is important. But how far are we allowed to let them go to get away with things?
Family as a show?
I love when ghost-hunting reality shows are in an ancient ruin and ask their questions in English, “What is your name?” I wish the ghost would say, “Hey, man, I was a Viking several hundred years ago, and I have no earthly idea what you are saying to me right now!” They couldn’t do that because it wouldn’t make for a good show.
If you have spent any time at all on Facebook, you know many families put on a great show. Look at us. We had a family game night, and it was a blast. We went to the zoo. For us–those who know that family is in so much turmoil and on the brink of disaster–we say, “Oh, looks like they are getting better,” and keep on scrolling.
Read: Excuses We Give for Not Helping Others in Need
We like to put on a good show when we are at family gathers. How is school? When are you getting married? Time for another baby? Congrats on the promotion! But very rarely does a family get together to tackle the issues that haunt us day after day. That uncle is not allowed to be in the room with the kids. Or that aunt whose house we can’t spend the night at, and none of us kids know why. Or that cousin that is a bad influence cause of all the drugs and womanizing. Those get brought up as warnings but never to be fixed. Why?
Because, like the Viking scenario, it wouldn’t make for a good show. We want to be happy at family reunions and Christmas and thanksgiving. We don’t need to know why that person’s dad went to prison.
We are One Family
Ayn Rand once said, “We are all brothers under the skin, and I, for one would be willing to skin humanity to prove it.”
We have to go deep to help break generational curses. Personally, my parents weren’t very affectionate. Saying I love you was not a daily occurrence before we got tucked in. To be fair, they showed me they loved me in so many other ways, which is not up for debate. When I had kids, I decided to tell my kids I loved them whenever I moved.
For someone like me, that is so awkward, and I still feel uncomfortable doing it. If someone doesn’t say, they love them at least once a day, something is terribly wrong for other families. We have to skin humanity to get down to the nitty-gritty and decide that we want to end what haunts us.
People tend to ignore Jesus’ teachings regarding who our brother is. That immigrant that crossed illegally is your family. The one who robbed the convenience store and killed the guard that is your brother. Democrat, Republican, rich, poor, black, white, fat, skinny, it doesn’t matter to God. But we are Christ-followers. Why does it matter to us so much?
Because it wouldn’t make for a good show. I don’t do those things, so I want to be able to condemn that pedophile, murderer, or prostitute who did their dirty deeds 15-20 years ago. I would never do that. See, look at me. I am better than them. We see it so often. I’ve done it.
Good families do second, third, and 23rd chances. Good families can be cautious and still help. Good families remember the dirty deeds they did before they go judging others. Good families know that it doesn’t matter what we look like, how smart we are, how important we are, how rich we are; we are still family. 1 John 4:20 says,
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.”
Look at your surroundings, neighborhood, job, and friends’ list on Facebook, clubs, and church. If everyone looks and acts like you, you are shunning so many people in the family of God. We are all one family. Sometimes it doesn’t make for a good show, but we are all we got. Stop letting your family members slide because “that’s just how they are.”
End the generational curse and be the disciple God has called you to be. When it comes to God, family is everything.
Prescott Williamson is a Bible-believing Christian. He is a husband, a father, and someone who believes that there is a little humor to be found in whatever situation God sends your way. He was born in the small islands of the Bahamas but now lives in the Suburbs of Fort Worth Texas, which is basically the same thing. He enjoys TV, reading, blogging and serving in his church (especially on the days they serve donuts). You can see what I have been thinking about lately on my blog www.prescottascoolbreeze.com.
