Ties That Bind
“Come, gather for the great supper of God.”
Revelation 19:17 (NIV)
As a child I couldn’t understand my Dad’s obsession with family reunions. Every summer we went to Avondale Park for the Muir or Perkins family reunions. Mama spent hours cooking a five-course meal of chicken and dressing; field peas, fresh creamed corn; and coleslaw. But no reunion meal was complete without her signature German chocolate cake. The woman was terrified of running out of food and not being able to feed people! Mama always carefully packed our cooler and then packed a tablecloth to put on the old Avondale pavilion picnic tables.
My siblings and I rarely knew any of the extended family members beyond our own first cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I remember begging Daddy not to make us go, but he always insisted on the priority of family. Mama echoed Dad’s belief with her usual, “Blood’s thicker than water” mantra.
The best part of those Sunday afternoon family reunions was getting to feed the Avondale Park ducks with my sister and cousins. Mama always popped a big bag of popcorn and handed it to us after lunch was over so that we could go feed the ducks at Avondale Pond.
Sixty years later my view of family reunions has certainly changed. Our reunions are now held in air-conditioned hotels or a family lake home. Reunion food has changed too. Most of it is now outsourced to caterers and commercial bakeries. The main point of each reunion is to simply gather. With globalization, most of us no longer live in the same neighborhoods in which we grew up. Many family members no longer live in Birmingham and must travel to attend our annual event.
The word “gather” means to come together and it is used in some form over 450 times in the Bible. God puts a priority on gathering and he expects us to do the same. In ancient agrarian economies farmers gathered their crops at harvest; Israel gathered stones to celebrate deliverances; Ruth gathered gleanings in Boaz’s field; kings gathered armies; and shepherds gathered sheep. God also gathered Israel’s remnant after the 70-year Babylonian exile. The twelve disciples gathered the broken pieces of loaves and fishes after Jesus’ miraculous feeding the 5000. “Gather up the pieces that nothing will be lost” is my not just my life verse (John 6:12), but also the theme for my Bible Bits blog and ministry.
Not too long ago as we were watching a beautiful sunset, Bruce said softly, “There’s something beautiful in God’s gift of family across generations.”
Two weeks ago on July 18, four generations of extended Evans family members gathered at a Birmingham hotel to reconnect and remember their shared family history. Bruce’s first cousins traveled from New York, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, and various places in between to share memories, grandkids, meals, and a few days of family fun. Our Evans reunion included approximately 40 family members physically present while a few members who were unable to attend connected via the internet.
Meanwhile, my Muir cousins gathered on the same day at our family lake house to re-connect and share a family meal together. New family members were introduced and departed family members were remembered. Graduations and retirements were celebrated. My Granny Muir probably never imagined that all her prayers, Sunday meals, and summer family reunions would eventually lead to this large family gathering.
The family is God’s Divine Design and primary vehicle for the transfer of truth one generation to the next. Living in a fallen world, life and family can often be messy, but God’s design and his good gift of family isn’t just truth (Genesis 1:27-28), it’s beautiful. The effective transfer of truth one generation to another is always intentional and relational. Being intentional means that we get the message- Who God is and what he has done- out of our mouths. Being relational means that we earn the right to be heard.
What are you doing to preserve your family memories and pass them on to the next generation? Who needs to hear stories of God’s faithfulness and provision in your family’s life? How are you gathering your broken pieces so that nothing will be lost?
One day all of us who are in Christ will gather for the great supper of God (Revelation 19:17). People from every tribe, nation, and people will be there feasting at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Together we will feast in the House of Zion. What a day of rejoicing that will be!