The Greatest Secret: How Being God's Adopted Children Changes EverythingSýnishorn

Adoption – An alternative family    

A team of scholars and their doctoral students were sat in the heat of the African sun listening in wrapt silence to a wise old Kenyan pastor as he shared his story of how he became a Christian. With tears running down his face he explained his Muslim family’s reaction to his conversion, and how he was subsequently thrown out of his home. Not only that but when he refused to recant his confession in Christ he was forced to flee from his village for his life. Many miles away from home, he sought sanctuary in a church building. The Christian community there welcomed him with open arms. They gave him a corner of the building to live in, with a mattress on the floor and food generously delivered on a daily basis. The man was extremely grateful for their protection and hospitality. 

I sat with the listening students and scholars deeply moved by his story and how the tragedy had ended so happily. But the story wasn’t finished. This was not a happy ending after all. The pastor continued, confiding that life was tough being in effect a refugee. Despite the hospitality of the church, the hardest part of his week was on Sunday morning after the service when everyone went home to their families and their Sunday lunches leaving him alone in the building with a plate of food to eat by himself. That was when it hit him – he had truly lost everything. The church building provided shelter, the church members provided sustenance, and the church event provided sacraments and spiritual teaching – but none of these were a substitute for the lifelong intimate commitment of a family.  Although he was welcome to make his home inside the church building, he was not welcome inside the homes of the church family.

According to Jesus those who convert to Christianity at great relational cost should receive many times more brothers, sisters, parents and children – and in the here and now. How is this possible? It is through the alternative family of the church that we receive relationships that can act as a substitute for those that we have lost. 

Jesus portrays the church as an alternative family, committed to one another with the same intensity that blood relatives might have for one another, despite not being genetically connected. The church is described as a family formed through covenant and commitment despite different ancestry and parenthood. That sounds a lot like adoption to me.